Lie In The Sound
by Jezzi
Summary: Rikku has hidden her pregnancy from Gippal for months, but when something goes wrong and her life is on the line, everyone is forced to come to reality. Completed June 21, 2005. Sequel: The Echo.
1. The Inevitable

_**Lie In The Sound  
**__**Chapter 1: The Inevitable**_

* * *

I've wanted for so long to tell him, to return to his arms and feel at home once again. I've wanted to leave this little refuge for so long, to get away from this place that remains cut off from the rest of the world. But, all my wants resolve to no avail with each passing sunset. I can't tell him. I won't tell him.

I sat, with much effort, on the edge of the pier, my swollen feet dipping slowly into the cool water. I stared out at the open ocean, my mind the same endless cloud of questions that always seemed to haunt me, my heart aching.

A dolphin and her baby swam in the cove, and my gaze continually wandered to them. They turned together in the water, and the baby never wandered far from the mother's side. I smiled softly, a gesture filled with both anticipation and resentment… anticipation for what was to come, and resentment for everything.

I resented that I had come this far alone, without him. I resented myself for making it that way. I resented him for not following when I left. I resented my family for keeping their promises of silence. I hated the fact that I would have to raise my child alone because of my own stupid decisions.

As I watched the dolphins play in the shallow cove, the sun began to fall below the horizon. I watched as the beautiful colors of sunset played across the sky. With a great deal of maneuvering, I picked myself up from the pier, resting a hand against my back as I straightened.

As I walked along the cool, velvet sands, a figure approached me, twilight shadowing his features. "We were worried when you didn't come back. Lulu asked me to come and check on you."

I smiled weakly as I approached him, staring at the long, uphill walk to Besaid village. "Thanks… I didn't expect to stay out this late."

Tidus nodded. He looked around for a moment before sitting in the sand, patting the spot next to him. "We need to talk, Rikku…"

He helped me as we lay back in the sand, staring up at the stars that were beginning to appear in the sky. I was silent for a few moments, a hand wandering to my swollen abdomen as the child inside kicked. "What do we need to talk about?"

"I know that you want this to be over, but… I'm worried about you. You go for these long walks every day, when the doctors have told you that you cannot risk an early labor. You're always pale, you never talk to anyone unless we force you into it…"

I sighed heavily. "What am I supposed to talk about? No one wants to listen anymore, I'm sure…"

He turned to look at me, moonlight glinting off his hair. "I want to listen. Yuna and Lulu, Wakka… all of us want to listen. You just don't want to talk about it anymore."

I propped myself up on my elbow, staring distractedly at him. "The truth is, Tidus… I wanted to tell him. I just can't do it."

"That's all you ever say, Rikku! What did he say that made you run?" Tidus looked frustrated.

I shook my head and stared out at the water. "I don't know… he would have been supportive had I told him, he would've been there for me. I just didn't want to burden him with the knowledge, I guess. I didn't want him to throw away his life for me and the baby."

"I doubt he would have been burdened by the knowledge, Rikku. Much less burdened than he'll be when he finds out that you hid it from him, anyways." Tidus shrugged and sat up, watching the ocean waves roll in with the tide.

A few tears rolled down my cheeks as he spoke those words. "This is all my fault…"

Tidus looked back at me, his expressive blue eyes filled with concern. "What is?"

"I just showed up on your doorstep, I've stayed for months… I've put everyone out. I've messed up my life, I lied to him, I've already managed to shame my baby by trying to hide its existence… what kind of a person am I?" For the first time in months, I let my tears go, staring out at the ocean.

Tidus' arms wrapped around me in an awkward hug, and I rested my head on his shoulder as I cried. "You are a wonderful person… you're my best friend, whom I would never condemn for showing up on my doorstep and staying for as long as she needed, whom I love like a sister. Sure, maybe you shouldn't have tried to hide the baby, but who can blame you? You are scared, Rikku, and there is nothing wrong with that." I nodded slowly. We sat like that for a few moments. Music from the village floated through the hills, a peaceful melody.

"Thank you," I whispered, wiping my eyes with a grin. He smiled back at me.

"Anytime. Here, let me help you up." I took his hand as he helped me to stand.

A sharp pain ran through my side, and I bent over with a little cry. Tidus immediately panicked. "What, Rikku? What's wrong? Are you okay?"

The pain had faded quickly. I smiled weakly as he watched me. "Baby's angry, I think… kicked really hard…"

"Are you sure?"

_ No…_ But I nodded, and began to walk back to the village.

* * *

As we sat around the bonfire that night, I endured more sharp pains. Lulu told me that it was normal at first, but she soon noticed that the pain was coming more often, at steady paces. She was discreet about getting me into the makeshift hospital in the temple. Yuna and Paine followed sometime later, shocked to find me in tears from the pains that ran through my body. Lulu pulled Paine aside and whispered something to her, while Yuna placed a wet washcloth on my forehead and held my hand.

Paine walked swiftly out of the temple, and Lulu simply smiled at me and told me to relax.

I tried to do as she said, but when I saw the worried look in her eyes, I knew something was wrong.

Tidus watched as Paine ran from the temple steps to the CommSphere. He could hear her voice, oddly filled with panic.

"Brother… we need the airship in Besaid, _now_. Your sister's gone into early labor… no, no, Lulu and Yuna can't stop it. We need to get her to the hospital in Luca."

He paled as he looked toward the temple. Yuna stood in the doorway, watching for Paine. She caught his gaze and took a deep breath. Paine ran back up the steps and the two conversed for a moment before going back inside.

Wakka's hand clasped his shoulder tightly as both men looked worriedly toward the temple doors.

* * *

Yuna exited the hospital two days later with a cup of coffee in her hand, dark circles under her eyes. She walked aimlessly through the city as she thought about her cousin.

Rikku was eight months pregnant with her child. Two weeks before, she had started feeling ill, and her appetite had begun to fail her. Yuna was worried for her. By ignoring Lulu and the village doctor when they'd warned her against her traditional long walks, she had somehow fooled her body into inducing labor. The doctors here said that the baby could survive at eight months, but they'd tried to stop the inevitable delivery all the same. For two days, they had managed to control the labor. Yuna hated watching her cousin grow more exhausted with each passing moment as she endured the weakening contractions.

Rikku had forced her to promise not to betray her secret to the baby's father when she'd first come to Besaid. Yuna had seen him many times in the past months. He'd always asked about Rikku, how she was, why she'd left. She'd always lied. But now, she was done. Rikku needed him now, more than ever before.

She pulled a portable CommSphere from her pocket and sat on a bench by the water. Once someone answered the sphere on the other end, she rubbed her forehead tiredly. "Yes… It's High Summoner Yuna… I need to speak with Gippal right away, it's urgent."

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	2. Holding My Breath

_**Lie In The Sound  
**__**Chapter 2: Holding My Breath**_

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I stared solemnly at the stack of papers on my desk. Work had seemed to become a chore to me lately… I was distracted, and I didn't understand why. My eyes wandered to a photo of the two of us when we still lived out in the desert, and I smiled sadly. I missed my Rikku.

But I was angry at her, as well. She'd walked out on me, leaving nothing behind, no note, no explanation… no evidence that she'd ever been here at all. Sometimes I hoped that I'd been imagining the days we'd spent together, but I knew that I wasn't. The memory of her in my arms was much too strong to be a waking dream.

The stack of papers had come to be in this exact manner. I would, being me, get distracted almost instantaneously, leaving the papers for a time when I was more subdued. Said distraction was usually in the form of that very picture, a little piece of our long history, that sat in the only clean portion of my desk. With a heavy sigh, I tore my gaze away for what seemed like the millionth time that hour, and began to read over the multiple documents that awaited my attention.

One of the workers entered my office just moments later, looking a bit out of breath. "What do you need?" I snapped, watching as he bent to catch his breath.

"Sir, the High Summoner is on the CommSphere… she says she needs to speak with you, and that it's urgent." I sighed and stared at the worker for a split second, before I turned away and walked to the CommSphere that was kept (safely away from the part stealers) downstairs. If Yuna said it was urgent… it was urgent.

I looked into the little blue sphere with surprise, noting the dark circles around Yuna's eyes. She sighed with apparent relief. "Thank goodness, they found you quicker than I'd hoped…"

"Uh…what do you need that's so very urgent, Yuna?" She frowned at my question.

"I need you to come to Luca. Now, if possible. And if it isn't possible… then I don't care."

I gave her a confused look, shocked at the very un-Yuna like statement of "I don't care". "I can try, but… why am I needed in Luca, now?"

Yuna sighed. "I can't explain everything in full detail until you are here, but… Rikku is in trouble. She needs you. She needs you more than she would ever admit."

That shocked me as well. From what Yuna had been saying these last months, Rikku was fine, independent… strong. I'd taken the impression that Rikku no longer needed or wanted me around, and so I hadn't chased after her to Besaid. Why force the girl to deal with me if she didn't need me? "In trouble? What kind of trouble?"

Yuna looked off to the side. "She's… she's been in the hospital here for two days, and things seem to be getting worse, and all of us need you to be here…just in case…"

A strange crushing feeling began to form in my chest. "Is she sick? What's going on? Just in case of what!"

Yuna stared at me, her mismatched eyes unnerving me as a strange ferocity entered them. "Djose is only four hours away by hover. I expect you to be out on the Luca Bridge by noon. I'll answer you then. See you soon, Gippal." Her end of the connection shut down as I stared in silence at blue sphere.

* * *

Yuna held Rikku's hand as the little blonde began to cry. "Why would you do that, Yuna? Why? I asked you not to tell him!"

"I didn't tell him yet, but you need him to be here! You've needed him since the moment you left."

Rikku shook her head, her matted hair sticking to her forehead. "I can't let him know that I lied to him, Yuna." She took a deep breath and looked out the window towards the sunny streets of Luca. "Why is this happening? Why didn't I listen?"

Yuna's eyes softened as she squeezed Rikku's hand. "You never listen."

Rikku laughed softly. "I know… but I always mess everything up, in one way or another."

"No, you don't. You're going to be fine, the baby will be fine… and Gippal will be fine."

"Yunie, no. You promised not to tell him." Rikku pleaded with her eyes. Yuna shook her head and gave her a reassuring hug.

"You can thank me later." Rikku nodded and leaned back, closing her eyes. "Rest until I come back, alright? Then you two will be able to talk." Rikku simply sighed in response, staring out the window once more.

* * *

I stepped off of the hover at noon, and looked out over the grand staircase towards the busy city of Luca. I'd let my second take charge of the Faction for an indefinite amount of time, and I'd sent messages by CommSphere to Mushroom Rock and Bevelle to inform Nooj and Baralai of my whereabouts.

A woman walked up the stairs toward me. "Gippal. You came."

I nodded to her and met her halfway down the stairway. "Of course I came. Where is she, and what the _hell_ is going on? I've been worried sick all morning, Yuna!"

"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you by CommSphere. It's too important to be told like that..."

I shook my head and walked slowly down the rest of the staircase. The two of us leaned against the railing of the city overlook for a long moment, silence spanning between us. I took a deep breath, and stared down at my feet. "I'm really, really scared right now, Yuna. She left me, I have no idea why… and now, months later, you contact me to tell me that she's in the hospital and that she needs me? What is going on?"

"You might want to sit."

I shook my head, my voice rising. "I don't need to _sit_, Yuna; I need to know!"

"Suit yourself." Yuna stared out over the city. "She made me promise not to tell you when she first came to Besaid, and I kept that promise, but… I can't just stay quiet any longer." She looked at me, her eyes filled with tears.

"Made you promise not to tell me what?" I said slowly.

"She left you because she found out that she was pregnant. I don't know what happened with you two, but… she came to Besaid when she left your place. She asked everyone not to tell you."

I gripped the railing tightly. I knew now why she'd left. "I should have followed her. I knew something was going on, and I just let her leave." I stared at Yuna, who was watching me critically. "Why would she keep something like this from me?"

"I don't know, Gippal. I… I don't know." She took a step toward me with concern. A tear rolled down my cheek as I struggled to wipe it away. But the High Summoner was observant, and she pulled my hand away from my eyes. "Don't, Gippal. It's okay to cry." She wrapped her arms around me, and I rested my head on her shoulder, crying quietly, trying to control the sudden plethora of emotions that had hit me harder than a brick wall.

After a long while, I pulled away. "How far along is she?" I rubbed my tear trails away, starting to walk towards the town, my mind in a haze.

"Eight months. Gippal… wait a second." Yuna looked slightly uncomfortable now. "She's in labor, and… she's having a lot of complications. The doctors have been able to stop the progression for the past two days, but the contractions are getting stronger again, and she's already exhausted."

I whipped around and began walking faster. I needed to see Rikku, and I needed to see her now.

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	3. Waiting

_**Lie In The Sound  
**__**Chapter 3: Waiting**_

* * *

We entered the hospital ten minutes after I'd stepped off the hover. Yuna guided me, in my absolute daze, to the hover, and pushed the button for the third floor.

As soon as we stepped off the hover, we heard her screaming. My daze was stabbed away by a terrible pain in my heart, as both Yuna and I ran toward the sound.

Yuna entered the room ahead of me, and ran straight to the figure in the bed. This was the first time I'd seen her in months, and my heart broke in knowing that this torture was partly my doing. Her swollen belly looked awkward, her normally bright eyes were dull… her beautiful golden hair was dark with sweat, and her knuckles were white as she squeezed Tidus' hand.

"Rikku…" I whispered, stopped in my tracks not two feet into the doorway.

She winced and glanced up at me, her gaze almost transparent, before she turned to Yuna. "So you weren't just lying…" Rikku gritted her teeth and squeezed Tidus' hand once more. He winced as well.

Lulu, whom I'd only met a few times, walked toward me from the corner and pulled me from the room. I protested, but she took me down the hall toward the nurse's station.

"Gippal… I know you must be feeling overwhelmed right now. I'll make this as simple as I can." She flicked her long hair over her shoulder and looked worriedly toward the little room down the hall. "For the past two days, the doctors here have been able to put a halt to Rikku's early labor. Rikku's body isn't responding to the medications anymore, and there is no way to stop the baby from coming. She's exhausted already, the poor thing… the doctors are going to move her into a delivery room as soon as her contractions are steady. Right now, she's still fluctuating, and this could be a long haul."

I shook my head and ran a hand nervously through my hair. "I can't stand seeing her like this… I can't believe this is happening."

"I understand how you feel, I truly do. But we need you to be here with her, to help her, not to add to her stress. Can you do that?" I nodded and she smiled softly.

"How can I help? You went through this, you know… I have no idea what to do."

She pointed. "Go and be with her. Hold her hand, and be supportive."

I sighed heavily, my hands shaking slightly. "I can try."

"Trying is good enough. Go back to Rikku… I'll clear everyone out so that you can have some time alone."

* * *

He entered the room behind Lulu, and I watched him warily. He didn't look angry, but he did look shaken. Lulu told Tidus that he could have his hand back, and he smiled widely. "No offense, Rik, but… I never, ever want to do that again." I felt bad as I looked at his slightly bruised fingers. He gave me that big 'It's-really-okay' grin, and he followed Wakka and Lulu from the room. Paine had gone to the inn to rest that morning. I doubted she knew what was going on.

Yuna held my hand tightly, her wide eyes frightened. "Are you going to be okay without one of us in here?"

I shook my head. "No, but… Gippal will be with me, so I won't be alone." I looked around at Gippal, who had approached the chair next to my bed. Yuna stood and offered it to him. "We'll be right outside if you need anything."

She left the room, and for once, the room was quiet. I was alright for the moment, but I was prepared for the pain to return. The silence was awkward, and finally he sat down, looking at me with a strange emotion in his eyes. He'd taken his eye patch off when he'd come in. He knew I hated the thing… it was comforting to look into the bright green depths.

"I'm sorry, Gippal, I couldn't tell you. I know you understand why." My voice was hoarse, weak… most unlike its normal state.

He shook his head. "Don't apologize. I understand, I just… I wish you would have told me. You shouldn't have had to go through this alone." I stared at the opposite wall.

"You should have known that you were a father."

He paled a bit. "Way to make me even more nervous than I already am, Cid's girl." He smiled a bit, though tightly.

I grinned tiredly at the mention of my nickname. _Yevon, I missed you, Gippal…_

For a few moments the two of us were silent, and neither one of us made a move toward the other. I felt another contraction coming and I tried to contain myself. As the pain ripped through me, I bit my lip and grabbed the railing on the bed, closing my eyes. This was by far the most severe contraction I'd suffered through thus far, and though I tried to keep myself from screaming, I couldn't do it.

His hand was shaking when he grabbed mine, as he told me as calmly as he could that it was okay, that it would be over soon, and that I could hurt him as much as I wanted to. I couldn't help but be grateful for his presence as we sat there, holding hands for the first time in months, both of us scared and shaking.

* * *

I walked out into the hall where Yuna and the others sat, flexing my hands. Tidus looked up and grinned at me. "Girl's got a grip."

"Yeah, you got that right…" I couldn't help but grin back. Yuna jumped out of her seat and walked hastily toward the door, but I held out a hand to stop her. "They're giving her something so that she can sleep."

Yuna's eyes were clouded, troubled. "It's been five hours! Shouldn't she be delivering by now?" She whirled around and looked at Lulu. "Shouldn't she?"

Lulu shrugged. "These things take time, and if there are complications, they take longer. Relax, Yuna, you won't do Rikku any good like this." Yuna pouted a very familiar pout, and I glanced back toward the room.

"She wanted me to tell you all to get some rest." I sat in one of the chairs lining the walkway and put my head in my hands. "I can let you all know if anything happens."

Wakka shrugged. "Gippal, you been in there all day. Maybe you should get some rest before we leave."

I shook my head. When he'd spoken those words… it had made me feel even more obligated to stay, somehow. "I…" I flushed visibly, a rarity. "I missed out on everything so far. I want to be here when the baby comes."

Yuna and Lulu smiled softly at that. I grinned back before standing and stretching. "Rikku said you're staying at the hotel?"

Tidus nodded. "It's pricey, but… we're going to stay until Rikku can come home with us." Some strange emotion gripped my heart, and I frowned. I brushed it off quickly, and fished around in my pocket.

"The Faction owns a townhouse for Faction members who are on vacation or business trips or whatnot. No one is using it now, so…" I grinned and handed Yuna the key. "There's the key… there should be food, the housekeeper restocks once a week." We walked down the hall to the nurse's station, and I took a scribbled the address on a bit of paper, handing it to Yuna as well. "There's a CommSphere there, so I'll call and let you know if anything happens."

Yuna smiled and gave me a quick hug. "Thanks… we'll see you in the morning, if not sooner." I nodded and watched as they entered the lift.

"Sir? Your wife asked for you." An old nurse set a stack of papers down on the counter. "She's a strong one, she is. Three days of labor now… my goodness." I almost told the woman that Rikku definitely was not my wife, but… instead, I grinned to myself and walked slowly back down the hallway to her room.

* * *

"It might take a while to kick in, but you'll have a good night's rest." The doctor stuck the needle into my arm as I stared at the wall in exhaustion.

"Will I be needing a good night's rest?" I didn't even flinch as I felt the fluid enter my veins. I was much too tired to care.

"Hopefully tomorrow will be the day." The doctor sat in Gippal's vacated chair.

"And if it isn't?" I brushed my hair out of my face. _Damn, I need a shower…_

"I need your permission to help your child come into the world. Your labor isn't progressing, Rikku. Your body is realizing too late that things are progressing too early. We can't allow your body to try and halt the process now, though, otherwise your child will be at far more of a risk than he or she is at even now." That opened my eyes, and my hand wandered out of habit to my stomach.

"How bad is that risk right now? I know the baby is early, and I know that's my fault, but… babies can survive when they are early, can't they?"

The doctor smiled at me kindly. "Of course they can, and it's very common. Because you are young, small, and a first time mother, you're having a hard time. Most don't realize that the baby is going through a lot as well." He grinned and stood. "Don't worry too much. I'm sure you'll be fine. With your permission, if you don't go into a steady labor by tomorrow night, I can speed things up."

I considered it for a moment, and then nodded. "Okay… as long as it won't hurt the baby."

He shook his head. "It won't hurt the baby."

I nodded again, and the doctor smiled. As he left the room, a little old nurse entered to check my pulse, as she had been doing hourly since I'd arrived.

"Could I ask a favor?" She looked at me and smiled.

"Yes, dearie?"

"A blond man was outside with my friends… he's the baby's father. Could you ask him to come back?" I grinned tiredly as the woman fluffed my pillows and settled me in for the night.

"Of course, sweetie. You rest up, you hear? Tomorrow's going to be a big day." I nodded as she left the room, and stared at the ceiling until Gippal entered.

* * *

I sat next to her and she looked at me with a smile. She looked so tired… every time I looked at her my heart hurt. "How're you holding up, Cid's girl?" I took my seat next to her once again, taking her outstretched hand.

"… well, I'm holding up." For the first time since I'd arrived, she actually looked somewhat comfortable. She looked up at the ceiling. "I… I want to apologize."

I leaned back in my chair, following her gaze to the ceiling. "I already told you that I don't need an apology."

"I know. But I can't help feeling like a horrible person, toward you, toward the baby… I was talking to Yuna this morning, when she told me that she was going to have you come here. She told me not to feel the way I feel, but… I can't help it." A single tear rolled down her cheek.

"Rikku." I pushed myself out of the chair and I sat next to her on the bed. It was rather awkward, being so close to her after so long. "Why are you so upset?"

"I'm not ready for this." She shook her head. "What kind of a mother hides her baby? What kind of a person runs away from everything they've ever wanted and hides on some backwater island and makes herself miserable for months?" She shook her head, upset, but too drugged to be angry. "I can't take care of myself, let alone a baby."

"You can take care of yourself. You did what you thought was right. I'll admit that I was angry this morning when Yuna told me, but right now, I'm just glad to be sharing this moment with you." She looked up at me, her eyes a bit cloudy, her grip on my hand getting a bit weaker as the medication began to take effect.

"I'm scared, Gippal. I'm really, really scared. Pain I can deal with, but… what happens if something goes wrong?"

I smiled at her and gave her a small hug. "Then we deal with things as they come. I'm here now, and you don't have to go through it alone anymore."

She nodded, and I could see the question resonating in her eyes: _Will you always be here?_ She squeezed my hand lightly and with much effort she scooted to the side of the bed. "Stay with me tonight, okay?"

I smiled softly and pushed her matted hair out of her face. She was dosing already, before I could even answer. I watched her for a few moments as she slept. Then, in a rare moment of sentimentality, I kissed her cheek and tentatively touched her stomach. "I love you… both of you." I was content, holding her once again. That feeling of her in my arms was no longer just a transient memory; it was real. It was everything I'd ever wanted.

* * *

_This chapter was kind of a set-up for the events of the next one. Kind of boring, I know, but necessary. Thank you all so much for the reviews! Please continue to review, and don't be afraid to give constructive criticism!_


	4. The Night

_**Lie In The Sound  
**__**Chapter 4: The Night**_

* * *

It happened so suddenly. I woke only hours after I'd fallen asleep to find that my water had finally broken.

"Gippal…" I shook him softly, terrified. _This is really happening_. "Gippal, wake up."

He opened his eyes groggily, yawning. I winced as it began again. My exhaustion had not faded with my drugged sleep. If anything, it was worse.

He stared at me in confusion, and once he realized where he was, he appeared to be concerned. "You alright, Rikku?"

I shook my head. "It's happening… I… the contractions started again. I think you should go and find a doctor."

He paled under his tan, and gripped my hand tightly for a moment. "You'll be alright while I'm gone?"

"I think so… hurry. I'm kinda scared." I leaned back on the pillows as he got out of the bed. He rushed out of the room to find a doctor as I waited, gripping the sheets tightly.

* * *

_Night had fallen. Djose was quiet as the stars emerged. The beach was calm, the moonlight reflecting off of the surface of the water. We walked along the waters' edge, holding hands, silent with the rest of the world. The waves hit the beach softly, sparkling under the night sky. The velvet sands seemed to melt beneath our feet as each new wave returned to the sea._

_He smiled and stopped, looking out at the water. "Look, Rikku… dolphins." The beautiful animals jumped and leaped, rivulets of water dripping from their sleek bodies as they cleared the surface. I laughed. He caught my hand and pulled me in for a kiss, so tender and gentle that my knees went weak. When we pulled away for breath, we simply stared into each others' eyes for a long moment in time. A moment in which all time seemed to stop. _

* * *

I rushed out of the tiny hospital room and into the long hall. I pulled my little CommSphere from my pocket and waited for it to connect with the Machine Faction's townhouse in the residential are of Luca. Tidus' face looked back at me after a couple of moments. "What's up, Gippal?"

"Rikku thinks it's time. I just thought you guys might want to know." I waited for his response as he processed what I'd said.

"We'll be there in twenty minutes." He set the sphere down and began to yell for the others without bothering to shut the contraption off. I disconnected and jogged the rest of the way to the nurses' station.

The little old nurse from earlier sat behind the counter. She looked up at me patiently and kindly smiled. "Can I help you?"

"Miss Rikku says that her contractions started again and asked me to get a doctor," I said in a rush. I don't know how the woman understood me, but she gripped my hand and smiled encouragingly.

"Sonny, don't you fret. You go back to your girl, and I'll be right in with the doctor." She stood and walked down the hall in the opposite direction of Rikku's room, towards the staff area. I nodded to myself and stood for nearly a minute. _…what do I do now? Who else do I need to call? Cid… no, I'll have Yuna do that… maybe she'll want some water. Or something… coffee?_

Suddenly, I heard her yell echo through the hall. "Gippal! _Get back here!_"

"Oh… oh, right." I ran off toward her room once more, feeling as if I was one of my inventions, running on a program, not seeing anything, not feeling anything… not knowing anything.

* * *

_She laughed as we drove swiftly toward the temple, the cool night air whipping her loose hair behind us. The ocean was calm that night, splashing gently against the rocks just offshore. I flushed when her arms tightened around my waist as we tilted into the sharp turns of the highroad. As I drove on, time seemed to blur, to halt. _

_As I began to slow down when we reached the crossroads, she leaned forward. I laughed softly. "Rikku, what are you doing?" Her lips softly grazed my neck, and I took in a sharp breath. I could feel her grin against my skin as she trailed soft kisses to my ear. _

"_Do you want me to stop?" she asked hesitantly, whispering just above the hum of the air streaming past us. I shook my head, also hesitant, as we came into the view of the dark and majestic Djose Temple._

_

* * *

_

I held his hand tightly and bit down on some of the ice that the nurse had brought, tears streaming down my cheeks. Gippal never uttered a complaint, though I could see something out of place in his face. I don't know if I was hurting him physically, or if it hurt him to see me in pain. As soon as I released his hand from my machina-like grip, he reached for a little cloth and began to squeeze it to get his blood flowing once more. Were I able to smile, I would have. He looked amusing, squeezing a bundled up cloth, staring at the wall distractedly.

I took the moment to breathe deeply and rest my eyes. I felt numb between each contraction, until all the muscles in my body seemed to tighten and solidify, so tight, so painful that I often struggled in my attempts to stay quiet. I was in a different room now, a bigger one with less decoration, with more scary looking… utensils, I guess you could call them; there were no comforting little windows in here, no bright and colorful pictures on the walls. There were some strange beeping machines in the corner, some of which were attached to me. Gippal had told me that they were alright, it wouldn't hurt me, that they were medical devices his faction had approved, tested, so on and so forth. To be honest, this far along, they could have stuck needles in my arm and I wouldn't have cared. I was an idiot, as always, and I voiced it. The next thing they did, of course, was set me up with a 'drip bag', which would place much needed fluids and medications directly into my blood stream, by way of needle. Yay.

Yuna and Tidus were swapping places with Gippal every thirty minutes or so, keeping me company while the others took turns sleeping. I thought it was sweet of them to stay for him, for the baby… for me. Glancing up at the clock (my only wall adornment), I reached for Gippal's hand, gently brushing against his warm skin. He took it calmly, the look on his face telling me that he was preparing just as steadily as I had been for another contraction to come along. My voice shocked me every time I spoke. It wavered and broke, quiet from all the abuse of my screaming. "No, no… not yet." He smiled softly and simply held my hand anyway. I pointed weakly at the clock. "Yuna's turn."

Gippal looked up, too, and sighed heavily. "I'd rather not miss any of this, I've missed too much already." Despite my exhaustion, my lack of will to do anything besides rest, I raised my hand to his cheek and ran my thumb along it gently. He closed his eyes, and I gently brushed my fingers through his hair.

"I'll have them send for you when it happens." Yuna stood in the door, her hair mussed. I hadn't seen her look so worried since those last days of Sin… the days I'd hated the most.

Gippal looked at me with tired eyes before smiling. "Not long now, Rik, not long. I'll be right down the way, alright?" I nodded and smiled as he hesitantly kissed the back of my hand. He stood and clapped a hand lightly on Yuna's shoulder as he exited, giving her a look of appreciation. She nodded to him and walked toward me, taking his place at my side.

"What a gentleman…" she sighed, handing me the ice bucket. I took a few chunks and popped them in my mouth, nodding a bit. She reached for my hand; she could always sense them coming, almost as if she were feeling them, too. I squeezed and waited it out. It hurt, but I knew she was working her summoner voodoo on me to keep me from going insane. And I was grateful.

* * *

_We stood near the spot where we'd parked the hover, holding each other ever so softly, thrilled by the small contact. We were lost in one another's eyes, breaking our gaze only for swift seconds, for tiny kisses. He squeezed my hand gently, and began to walk toward the temple. I followed without a thought. _

_He pulled me inside, shutting the large stone doors behind us. He pulled me close again, and kissed me in that amazing way of his, holding me around the waist, his other hand busy entangling itself in my hair. The temple was empty tonight. Everyone remained at the party in the Moonflow, celebrating the anniversary of the day the High Summoners' party had brought us peace. Everyone but us. _

_We made our way slowly through the main chamber of the temple, our kisses becoming more passionate but no less tentative as we tripped over spare machina parts and tools. Gippal's smile made my heart melt; the emotions in his eyes made it melt even more._

* * *

I almost fell into my cot in the room just down the hallway. The hospital personnel had been more than happy to set up a little rest area for the High Summoner's companions. I had wanted to yell at them for not offering so for Rikku, but Tidus had shut me up.

"Is this almost over?" Tidus groaned from his cot, rolling over to squint at me.

"I talked to one of the nurses on the way in… said that she's almost completely… dilapidated or something."

Tidus raised an eyebrow. "You sure that's the right word?"

"Nope, but it sounds good enough to me. I guess it means she'll be delivering within the next hour." I leaned my head back against the wall, too restless to try and rest.

Tidus sat up, too, and grinned. "I can't wait to see this kid. That'll be the most exciting part."

I felt my heart jump into my throat, pounding fast. I could almost feel the color drain from my face. "I'm really nervous."

Tidus just shrugged. "You have a right to be nervous. You didn't even know about the baby until yesterday, you know? Don't sweat it."

"What the hell are we doing? I'm nineteen… Rikku just turned eighteen three months ago… how are we supposed to take care of a _baby_? We can barely take care of ourselves!" I buried my face in my hands, all the stress I'd been hiding suddenly jumping out from its hiding place.

"No wonder you two are so perfect for each other, you both say the same things. I swear, Rikku was talking about that the day we got here. And the day after that. And then the day you got here…"

"I get the picture," I said moodily, running my hands through my already disheveled hair.

"Listen, alright? You need each other right now. When the baby decides to stop hurting its mother and get outta there, you'll need each other even more. You'll be able to handle this baby, and everyone else will help. Wakka and Lulu have experience. Yuna works with kids at the hospital, she knows all the tricks to make them stop fussing… I like kids, kids like me. Paine…"

"… we might want to keep the baby away from Paine for a while, until they can bond." I smiled a bit, my nervousness slipping.

"My thoughts exactly." Tidus fished about in his pocket. "So, you've got plenty of help, and there is nothing to be afraid of." He grinned triumphantly and tossed something to me. "Wakka picked these up for us this afternoon."

I squinted in the dim light. "A cigar?"

"Yeah, apparently you smoke 'em when babies are born, when the fat lady sings, whatever. I don't understand Wakka all the time… but we got nice smokes out of the deal, so why not?" I shook my head, closed my eyes, and waited.

* * *

_I was aware of everything. It was amazing and yet astounding at the same time, what love could do to you. I'd locked my door behind us as we stumbled through the darkness and into my room. We were both laughing at each other and at ourselves for tripping so many times in our efforts to get this far. Now, as we sat on the edge of my bed, I didn't have to watch out for sharp metal pieces underfoot. All I had to concentrate on was her. _

_I kissed her neck softly, gently. There'd been two other women in my life so far; I felt more for Rikku than I ever had for the other two combined. Rikku was everything. I wanted her so badly, and yet I held back, savoring every moment I spent with her, making sure she was okay before moving on. She let off a little purr as I softly kissed her collarbone. She was so fragile, and yet… so strong. _

_Within moments, she was lying on her back, her wild hair spread out like the wings of an angel over the soft pillows. Our kisses were a bit rougher now, and our breathing had sped up. We were excited, we were young… I pulled back reluctantly. "Rikku… we should stop."_

_She looked confused, almost hurt. "What if I don't want to stop?"_

_I rested beside her, my arm draped over her waist. Tonight was perfect. The timing was perfect. But I had to be sure… she had to be sure._

"_I don't want to hurt you."_

_Her beautiful, expressive eyes softened. "You won't."_

_I hesitated. "I don't want you to think that you… we… made a mistake."_

"_I won't. I love you." She smiled, and I smiled softly back. She scooted a bit closer, holding my gaze. "Being with you in any way could never be a mistake."_

_I brushed her hair away from her face, my hand shaking softly. It was then that I realized that I was nervous. She was shaking, too. I took her hand, intertwining our fingers. "I love you, too."_

_She smiled softly. I ran a hand down her back, slowly, and she shivered at the touch. "Gippal…"_

"_Are you _sure_?" I asked, looking her straight in the eyes. _

_She nodded softly. "Yeah… I'm sure." She kissed me again, pulling me to her. I didn't pull away._

* * *

It felt almost as if I were being torn into pieces. I heard myself screaming, so tired that I felt detached. I could feel the pain, but it was numbing now too. My skin was white, paler than ever before, and I was crying as I pushed with all my might. "I can't do this any more… I can't!"

"Rikku, ed'c ymsucd ujan, ugyo? Zicd y meddma muhkan! E bnuseca!" Gippal was trying his hardest to keep me going, slipping into the comforting verses of our people in an effort to calm me down. I appreciated it, but this was getting to be too much.

"Just one more push, Rikku, the head will be clear, and then you'll be done. Just one more, big push, Rikku, c'mon!" Yuna said encouragingly.

And so, I went at it, clutching tightly to them. I couldn't help but wonder why a baby that was a month premature was so very hard to deliver. I pushed again, with a loud yell, and I waited. Finally, after all the stress, there was a bit of relief as the baby's head cleared. I heard Gippal suck in a breath at the sight of our child, as I leaned back for a rest. I breathed deeply, crying even more profusely as Yuna tenderly ran a cloth over my forehead. "Am I almost done, Yunie, please say I'm almost done…"

"You're almost done, sweetie, almost there."

* * *

_Every touch, every kiss… I was so aware of his body, of mine. He was so gentle with me, so patient, slow and loving. He knew to stop and let the pain fade, and he concentrated on making me happy. It was awkward at first, making love, but that first time, it was a perfect kind of awkward. He only wanted to please me and show me how much he cared; I felt the same way. It was amazing. We'd always been connected, but in that moment, our emotions were so strong that you could almost touch them, so strong that they flooded our minds and our hearts._

_I was seventeen. We were in love… the night was all that mattered._

* * *

Rikku took my hand as she lay back, as the baby came all the way into the world. Yuna stepped back into Tidus' arms, hugging him and squealing happily. I grinned like a fool when I heard the baby cry, a small, weak sound that was music to my ears. Rikku grinned tiredly as she shut her eyes, breathing heavily.

The doctor held the little one up for us to see. "You've got a little girl!" All my nervousness vanished for a moment as I let go of Rikku for the moment to move closer to the baby. She was still a mess, of course, and so tiny… she was a miracle.

In a daze, I cut the cord (the one honor that modern doctors give to the fathers… it kind of seemed like a rite of passage to me...) and watched as they bundled her up. "Can I hold her?" I asked, grinning so wide I thought my face would stick that way.

"We have to take her down for a check up, since she's early. You can follow us, if you'd like, or you can stay with Miss Rikku." I looked to Yuna, who was watching Rikku, her face suddenly not smiling, pale as Rikku's had been the moment before.

"What? Yuna, what is it?" I asked, my fright returning ten-fold. The little monitors that had passed my approval just last month began to go off, beeping, blinking. I turned back to the doctor, who handed my daughter off to a nurse.

"Have the doctors in the neo-natal department do a complete check-up. Make sure they know that she's a month premature, and that I'll be sending her father down shortly." The nurse nodded and took the baby from the room quickly as I stood, frozen, staring at Rikku.

Yuna was shaking, and even cheery Tidus looked frightened. "There's so much blood…" he whispered. The doctor was calling down the hall for extra help, and it seemed that this moment, a moment that was supposed to be happy, filled with celebrations, had turned into something straight out of a nightmare.

I ran to Rikku, holding her hand tightly. "Rikku… Rikku, you're going to be alright, okay? Rikku… can you hear me? Answer me, please! Rikku!" Her eyes remained closed, her hand did not return my grip, and her breathing was becoming shallow. "Rikku… Rikku, stay with me, c'mon… don't leave me… please, hold on…" I paled, my skin as white as hers. The noises around me faded away. All I could see was her ashen façade… all I could feel was fear.

* * *

_And now, the actual plot is ready to start, my faithful readers. Thank you so much for all of the reviews! Please, keep them coming! I might start looking for a BETA for this fic, as well, if you are interested, let me know! Thanks again, I hope you enjoyed._

_Please review!_


	5. Gippal's Girl

_**Lie In The Sound  
**__**Chapter 5: Gippal's Girl**_

* * *

I'd stood near Rikku's bed as I watched doctors and nurses flood the room. I'd held her hand, and for the first time since I arrived, she didn't squeeze it, she didn't respond. I'd listened as the hospital staff had clamored to stop the blood from flowing. Then, I'd been pushed out of the room, still in shock.

The doctor who had delivered the baby came out almost half an hour later, and sat across from Tidus, Yuna, and I. The sight of Rikku's blood on him made me sick to my stomach with worry, with fear. She had been so pale, so lifeless…

"Rikku is a small girl, very petite… the stress on her throughout the labor was enormous."

"Is she okay? Please say she's okay…" Yuna had tear stains down her cheeks, and her voice was shrill.

"She was bleeding heavily internally, as well as from a wound that probably occurred when the infant passed through the birth canal. We managed to heal them, and we've given her more blood. She's stable, for the moment."

Tidus leaned back in relief, a bit of color returning to his face. "Thank goodness…"

The doctor looked a bit uncomfortable. "She's unconscious. The labor exhausted her, and losing so much blood so quickly… it could easily have thrown her into a coma. She's breathing, her vitals have stabilized, but…"

"But?" I growled, staring at the man.

"There have been so many complications in the last few days that she may not yet be through all of the trials in store for her. We've made much progress in the field of medicine, but I cannot guarantee anything." He shook his head. "I have to be honest with you. I don't know if she'll wake up. If she remains stable for the next forty-eight hours, then prospects will look a little better, but right now… the odds are against her."

The hall was silent for a long while before the doctor stood and motioned to me to stand. "I can't let the three of you see Rikku, yet, but I received a call from the neo-natal ward before I came out to talk to you folks. Someone would like to see you."

* * *

I watched her sleep, so small and alone inside the little heated crib. After seeing all the other babies in the main nursery, I realized how very small she was, how very fragile she looked. She was truly the most beautiful baby I'd ever seen, so pink and perfect. I could see her mother in her even now, in the curve of her little lips and her nose, but I could see my own features as well. The love I felt for her was instant, overwhelming.

The nurses asked me to wash my hands before touching her. She was in good health for being early, but precautions were a way of life when around 'premies'. I reached into the crib and touched her hand, sorely reminded of the way her mother hadn't responded to my touch. She wrapped her little hand around my index finger. I smiled up at the nurse, who was watching with a knowing grin. "You _can_ hold her, you know."

I shrugged, embarrassed. "I've… I'm not around babies much. I don't want to pick her up the wrong way or something." She laughed and reached into the crib. The movement woke the baby, and the nurse rocked her soothingly as she began to cry.

"Put your arms out, like mine… good. Okay, she's not strong enough to hold up her own head yet, so you have to support her head and neck, don't let her flop around." The woman gently passed her over to me. I felt a bit awkward for a moment. The nurse smiled and nodded. "You'll do fine… if you need anything, let me know. I'll be in the nursery." She left me alone with my daughter.

She was still fussing, and I rocked her back and forth gently, mimicking the nurse's actions. "Ssh, sweetie, it's okay. I know, I know, I should have waited until you woke up to bother you… I'm sorry…"

I watched her as she calmed, blinking up at me with her big blue eyes, clutching her blanket in her little fist. Her forehead and cheek were bruised. I frowned slightly, running a finger gently over her soft cheek. "You must be tired, too, mmm? You and Mommy have been through quite a lot these last few days. Mommy's tired now, but she'll wake up soon. I'm sure she can't wait to hold you…"

I rocked her softly, watching as her big eyes began to droop. "We both love you very much. Mommy will be okay soon…" I rocked my daughter to sleep, closing my eyes as I did so. "She'll be okay." I spoke to soothe the baby, of course… but I think I spoke to reassure myself, as well.

* * *

Yuna came into Rikku's room just before dawn. The doctors had returned her to the little room she'd first occupied. The colorful walls were now lined with solemn looking machinery, monitoring her vitals around the clock. She stared at her cousin, holding a mug of coffee in her hands. Then, she looked to Gippal, who sat in the little chair next to the bed. His head rested against the bedside and he held Rikku's limp hand in his own. He was fast asleep; Yuna presumed that a nurse had come in during the last few hours and tucked a blanket around him, as Gippal would never have thought to do so himself. The High Summoner couldn't believe that just yesterday, none of their group could have imagined what the next twenty-four hours would hold.

Rikku's already thin face looked gaunt, her usually tan and glowing skin grey. Yuna glanced down the hallway, checking for attentive doctors and nurses, before traveling to her side and taking a deep breath. She knew that medical institutions rarely depended on the white magics of the past thousand years to cure their patients, due to advancement in the medical field during the last three years. As far as she was concerned, it wouldn't hurt to check. She felt the familiar glow of the magic. As she pushed it through her cousin's body, she felt the sense of wrongness, a feeling that every experienced healer knew well. With a little prayer to whoever might be listening, she withdrew her magic and took a seat in the corner, staring out over the ocean waters at the sunrise.

I woke with a start, my eyes opening and immediately searching for Rikku. She hadn't moved, and her skin looked no less ashen than it had the night before. I blinked against the sudden brightness of the room, and saw that the sky was light outside. Yuna was curled up in a chair in the corner, watching me as I stretched. "How long have I been asleep?"

"I'm not sure. It's been a few hours since I got here, though." She stood and walked over to the bedside, feeling Rikku's forehead with her gentle healers' hands. "She's still got a fever…"

"That's bad, right?" I tightened my grip on Rikku's limp fingers, squinting in the light.

"It means that her body is fighting off something… it's not bad, but sometimes it's not good, either." Yuna glanced at me apologetically. "Sorry about the window… I… she likes being in the sun. I thought… maybe it would help." She turned away from me, her voice wavering a bit. "Stupid, I know…"

I shook my head. "It isn't stupid."

She turned toward me again, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "I feel helpless for the first time in so, so long. She… she saved me during the pilgrimage; she kept me going during the following years. She's affected my life in so many ways. And I can't help her." She shook her head, her tears flowing freely now. "I'm so _angry_! It's not supposed to be like this, we should be celebrating right now. She should be laughing, and happy… ordering us to sneak her some good food, because the hospital food stinks… things like that. She shouldn't be lying like _this_… I can't help her, Gippal, and it's killing me!"

I didn't know what else to do, so I reached across Rikku's middle and took Yuna's hands. "You're helping her by being here, I think. And… you're helping me by being here. I wouldn't know about the baby, I wouldn't know that she was lying here… you're the one who's been helping Rikku through everything. You're doing everything you can. We just have to have faith that she'll open her eyes, we can't doubt her. She wouldn't want that."

"I'm not doubting her… I'm just scared." Yuna watched Rikku for a few moments, and I followed her gaze. Then, I squeezed Rikku's hand and tentatively bent to kiss her cheek.

"E'mm pa pylg cuuh, Cid'c kenm." Then I beckoned to Yuna. "Get up." Yuna stared at me in confusion, wiping her hand along her cheek. "Get up, c'mon."

"Why?"

"Just do it." She stood, and I nodded toward the door. We walked down the hall together, trying desperately to get away from reality despite knowing that it was an impossible feat.

* * *

Yuna was excited as she washed her hands and took the bottle from the nurse. "Are you sure it's okay if I feed her, Gippal? I mean, don't you want to?"

I shrugged. "Yeah, I want to, but I'll have plenty of opportunity. I think it'll cheer you up a little." I solemnly looked toward the baby's crib. "Without Rikku awake to keep us going, you're the next best thing."

She frowned for a moment before nodding. "Yeah… yeah, I guess I'll have to try my best to stay up in spirits." I reached down into the crib and picked the baby up, smiling at her as she yawned. Yuna smiled and sat in the little rocking chair excitedly. "She's gorgeous, Gippal! Oh, I'm so excited!"

I laughed as I passed her over to Yuna, who held her happily and patiently offered her the bottle. "Did my plan work?"

"Yeah, I'm a little happier now… she's so small." She couldn't tear her eyes away as she smiled. "What are you naming her?"

I set myself down in one of the other chairs within the little nursery. "I… I want to wait until Rikku wakes up. We didn't have the chance to talk about it." I hesitated as Yuna quieted. "She didn't tell you what she planned on naming her, did she?"

Yuna shook her head. "She told me she hadn't decided yet, for a girl." The baby was sucking very tentatively on the bottle, watching Yuna as she spoke. Yuna smiled down at her. "Look at that fuzzy blonde hair…"

I grinned, staring down at the white-blonde fuzz that covered her head. "She's a cutie, isn't she? Just like her mommy…"

Yuna grinned and propped her up as she fed her, the baby looking frustrated as she tried to eat her breakfast. "'Hi, Daddy!'" She waved the infant's hand back and forth, making me grin. "This is so amazing…" Yuna kissed the baby's forehead softly. "I'm an auntie!"

The two of us sat together, thankful for the companionship, watching the newborn… happy to put reality to the side, if only for a little while.

* * *

_Thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate all of them, they make my day! Coming off of the last chapter, this one was a bit difficult to write, which is partly why it turned out to be rather short. I tried to make it seem like reality hasn't set in yet, though that will change soon. I hope it was alright! As always, constructive criticism is welcome! Thank you all so much for reading._

_Please review!_


	6. Incomplete

_**Lie In The Sound  
**_**_Chapter 6: Incomplete_**

* * *

I didn't understand anything that happened after I heard the baby cry for the first time. I didn't even remember if that was real, or just a dream, if it was memory or illusion. Time was non-existent, I was numb to all feeling, I heard nothing, I saw nothing... if I could have made sense of it, I would have assumed that I was dead.

For a long time, or so it seemed, I remained in that condition, suspended between reality and dream, life and death. There were times when I wasn't even aware of being, when I was nothing, missing from my own fogged mind. There were times when I heard everything around me, though I could see nothing and I could not comprehend what I heard. But before too long passed, I started to dream. I started to remember.

* * *

_I woke slowly, smiling as I became conscious of his warm body lying next to my own. That night had been our own, one to remember. We'd made a choice, not knowing that the choice would change our lives forever. The weak moonlight streamed through the small window, casting an alien glow throughout the room. Gippal was smiling at me as I opened my eyes and pushed myself closer to him, no longer embarrassed to feel his skin against mine. _

"_Morning…" His eyes were glued to mine as I ran a hand along his back, smiling lazily at him._

"_It's still dark, why are you awake?" _

_He smiled and shrugged. "I couldn't sleep." He playfully tweaked my nose. "And why are _you_ awake?"_

"_Didn't want to sleep anymore." I pulled him to me tightly, my lips meeting his in a slow but passionate kiss. _

"_I liked watching you sleep, Cid's girl…" Gippal grinned at me and buried his face in my neck, breathing in my scent deeply. "I can't stop thinking about last night…" he whispered, sucking lightly at my earlobe. I closed my eyes and rubbed at his back. _

"_Neither can I." I grinned and nestled my head under his chin. We held each other tightly, and I listened to his racing heart. "Gippal…"_

"_Yeah?" He took my hand and interlaced his fingers with my own. _

"_E muja oui…" I whispered, planting a gossamer kiss on his collarbone. _

_His heart sped for a moment, but then slowed dramatically. He kissed my forehead softly, still so gentle. "E muja oui, duu, Rikku."_

* * *

Until I'd seen her, I hadn't realized that my heart had been broken since she'd left. I was incomplete without her then… but now, as she was lying in front of me, she was still miles away, and I felt no more complete than I had in our long months of separation.

The morning had passed quickly as Yuna and I had spent time with the baby. Yuna had gone to rest at the Faction house at noon, sending Paine in her wake. Paine had gone to see the baby with me, and gone into Rikku's room with her stone face on. She'd come out with the same expression a little while later. The situation hadn't seemed real all morning, but when I entered the room and saw the tear streaks down Paine's cheeks, reality crashed into place. She'd left the hospital not long after, and I was alone with Rikku once again.

As I watched her, my mind continued to travel back to the nights when I'd woken with her beside me, the nights when I'd been so content just to watch her sleep. The memory was strong; I could see her laying there, her wild hair shining in the moonlight. Sometimes she would shiver from the cold drafts of the old temple; I would pull up the heavy comforter to shield her from the freezing air, and then smile as she unconsciously kicked it off. A few days before she'd gone away, she'd woken in the early morning hours and turned her eyes upon the window, watching the moon as it made its journey across the sky. Something was strange about her calm contemplation, but I didn't think twice about it.

Anger filled me suddenly, without warning, and I glared at the open window, at the sunlight that should not have been shining. I was angry at myself, for everything. A knock sounded at the door, interrupting our solitude, my reflection. I looked around to see Yuna standing there once more, with a vase of flowers in her hands.

"Is it alright if I come in?" she asked, watching Rikku almost as if she suspected her to sit up at any moment.

I nodded. She placed the flowers on a little table in the corner, uncertainly rearranging them for a few moments. I watched as she fidgeted with them. She seemed to be fixated on the flowers. Ten minutes passed as she stood there, her movements uncertain and pointless.

"You know… you're excellent at making various flower assortments, I'm sure, but you're kind of crushing them with all the rearranging." She glanced at me as if she'd forgotten I was there, and immediately pulled away from the flowers. She stood near the window, looking out over the city.

"I'm sorry, I just… I need to keep my mind off of her. I can't stand seeing her like that."

"Then why the hell are you here?" I asked, my anger overpowering me. She looked at me with a shocked expression on her face. I sighed heavily and placed my head in my hands. "Yuna, I'm sorry, I didn-"

"You didn't think before you spoke?" she asked, the old summoners' detachment sealing off her emotions. Her voice was clipped, and she spoke quietly. "Honestly, Gippal, I didn't think you were one to ask stupid questions."

I stared at her for a moment before looking at the floor. "I'm just an-"

"Angry? At who, Rikku? Me?" Rikku had once told me that when Yuna got mad, she got _mad_. I couldn't help but notice the similarities between the cousins. I stared at the ground as something inside me broke.

"No… at myself."

Yuna watched me as I stared at the ground, glaring. "For what?"

"For driving her away… for what I said to you."

"Driving her away?"

I looked into her eyes, which widened with shock at the sight of the angry tears that had begun to form in mine. "I'm the reason she left, Yuna. I didn't think, I just started talking, I…"

Yuna glared at me as I spoke. I knew that Rikku hadn't told anyone her reason for leaving Djose. "What did you _say_ to her?"

* * *

_I flexed my hand as I pushed another stack of forms to the side, my hand cramping from writing for so long. My door opened slowly, and I glanced up to see who it was. Rikku stood there, in her work clothes, which were covered in oil stains, her hair thrown atop her head carelessly. She looked strangely determined as she closed the heavy door behind her. _

_I smiled up at her and stood, walking out from behind my desk. "Hey, beautiful." She gave me a little half smile. "You on break?"_

_She nodded and sat down on the little couch in the corner. "Yeah…"_

_I sat next to her and kissed her cheek warmly. She tensed, but relaxed quickly, leaning her head on my shoulder. "Something wrong?"_

"_Uh… I just wanted to talk." She hugged me tightly. "You're not busy, are you?"_

_I looked over at the stack of papers that remained on my desk. "A little, but it isn't a big deal. What do you wanna talk about?" I leaned back against the cushions, and she lay her head in my lap, looking up at me nervously. _

"_Us."_

_I watched her with confusion. "What about us?"_

"_Like… the future." She closed her eyes. "Our plans… for the future."_

_I grinned, rubbing the back of my head with confusion. "What made you think about that?"_

"_A lot of things." She opened one spiraled eye and looked at me. "We can talk later, if you don't feel like it right now. I just… I had to bring it up sometime." She looked uncomfortable, but I didn't think anything of it. I'd be nervous if I were the one to bring it up, too._

"_No, that's okay, it's just… we've never really talked about this before." I played with her hair as we sat there, and she closed her eyes again. _

"_I know…"_

"_Well, what are you thinking about?" _

_She half smiled again. "Settling down. You know, like, getting married, and…" She hesitated before opening her eyes and staring straight up at me. "And starting a family."_

_I grinned back, shrugging. "We've got plenty of time to think about that kind of thing."_

"_But I want to think about it now." The determination was back. "Gippal, I… please, just tell me what you think about it."_

_I looked off at my desk and shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I'd like us to get married someday, but not yet. We're still young, we have time to think about getting married, you know, take it slow, make it perfect." Her expression faltered a bit, but the determination did not drain. _

"_And about the family thing?"_

"_Well, even if we were to get married sometime soon, I don't want kids yet. We're not ready for that, you know? I've got a big responsibility with the Faction. I'm making good money, and this is a really good career. I'd like to feel secure before starting a family, wouldn't you?"_

_Her eyes closed again, and she nodded. "It would be nice to feel secure… kinda seems hard right now, though." She sat up and sat back against the couch, staring out the window. _

"_No kidding… I just feel like we both should live a little and grow up before we get ourselves into anything like that." She pulled her legs to her chest and laid her head upon her knees, facing away from me. "Hey… what's wrong?"_

"_Nothing, I just… I was hoping for a different reaction." Her voice was quiet, and the earlier confidence was gone. _

"_I love you, Rikku, but are you really ready to take such a big step?" I rubbed my hand along her back. She didn't shy away from the touch, but she didn't warm to it, either._

"_I don't know if I am or not." She stood up and began to walk to the door. "I should probably get back to work…" _

_I watched her as she made her way to the door. She opened it, and as she walked out, she swayed on her feet. I watched with concern as she grabbed the doorjamb and leaned her forehead against it, breathing deeply. "Honey, are you okay?" I made my way to her, feeling her forehead. She was clammy, cold… but for some reason, she was sweating. _

_She nodded. "I've been feeling a little under the weather the last few weeks." She looked up at me with a pleading in her eyes. I didn't catch it._

"_Maybe you should take the rest of the night off… I don't want you getting everyone else sick." _

_Rikku nodded and looked at the ground. She walked away from me, steady on her feet once more. I didn't hear her as she whispered, "If only it were contagious…"_

* * *

"She was trying so hard to tell me… I never realized it until you told me about all this, yesterday morning. She stayed for another week, but she was distant. I didn't even think that our conversation could have been the cause! And then she… she was gone, and I wanted to follow her, but I thought I should give her some space… And she never came back, and she didn't respond to my letters… so I just stopped trying." It was the second time in as many days that I had started to cry in front of Yuna. I wasn't sobbing, but tears were rolling down my cheeks. I held my emotions back, built a wall around them, refusing to release them in front of her.

She looked at me with disgust. "How could you not see it, Gippal? How could you just stop trying? I thought you loved her! Anyone could see that she was head over heels for _you_!" She was loud. I was loud. Had the door not been closed, our shouting could have been heard all the way down the hall.

"Of course I loved her! I still love her, Yuna… you say that you can't stand seeing her like this? How the hell do you think I feel? I've done nothing but hurt her! I'm the reason she's here, I'm the reason she's been so miserable for months… _I'm the reason she's dying_!" I was out of control now, and I couldn't help but choke on my tears.

Yuna screamed at me, sobbing. "She is _not_ dying. Never, **ever** say that again, do you hear me?"

A nurse threw open the door, glaring at the two of us. "What in the devil is going on in here? If you want to fight, take it somewhere else! This is a sickroom, not a pub!" She walked to Rikku's bed and took her pulse, glaring at the both of us. "Heart rate is up…" She shook her head. "Now, if you two don't stop fighting, I'll have you both thrown out of this ward, family or not. Do not bring anymore tension into this room, do you understand me?"

The two of us stared at the nurse as we wiped our faces. She exited the room angrily, closing the door quietly behind her. I stared at Yuna. She stared back at me. "I can't live without her, Yuna. I… I just…"

Yuna made her way to the door, stopping before she turned the handle. "Uncle Cid will be here in the morning. Do you mind if I go and spend some time with my niece?" She was angry still, I knew.

"That's… that's fine. I'll send a nurse if there's any change."

She nodded and took her leave. I stared after her for a long while, before I turned back to Rikku's still form.

I took her hand tentatively and pressed it to my forehead, resisting the tears. "I love you, Rikku, so much… I need you to wake up for me. The baby needs you, Yuna needs you… please, don't leave me alone again…" I kissed her hand and watched her, holding her palm to my cheek. A single teardrop fell from my eyelash and onto her palm, and then rolled away without resistance.

* * *

_I had to make up for that horribly short chapter from yesterday, so I updated again today. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, I really appreciate it. This is the kind of chapter that I hope to churn out next time, as well, so… even though it isn't insanely long, there's a lot of emotion in it. It still might not make sense to you about why Rikku left. If not… all will be explained in time. Thanks so much for reading!_

_Just to answer a frequent question… the baby will end up having green, swirled eyes at some point in time. However, it is common that when babies are born, their eyes are blue. It takes time for their eyes to change to the permanent color. Therefore, they are blue now, but yes. Both her parents and their parents had swirly green eyes… she'll have them as well._

_Please Review!_


	7. Far From Normal

_**Lie In The Sound  
**_**_Chapter 7: Far From Normal_**

* * *

Lulu had forced me to get out of the hospital and get some rest. I'd given the baby her bottle and learned to change a diaper before I rocked her to sleep, and then I'd followed Wakka back to the house. Lulu and Paine were staying that night, and I couldn't be more grateful. I'd had only about five hours of sleep in the past two days, and I was asleep on my feet.

I took a small bedroom on the ground floor, toward the back of the house. I opened the window and sat back on the bed, letting the sound of the waves against the nearby docks take my mind far out to sea, where there was nothing to worry about but the wind and the waves.

* * *

Lulu sat in Rikku's room as the sun began to peek over the horizon. She was frightened for the younger girl. Lulu was the only other woman in their circle of friends who knew the pains and joys of pregnancy, the stress of childbirth… and the dangers of it, as well.

It was hard for her to see someone she thought of as a younger sister so pale and lifeless. And in some way, she felt responsible. Lulu had delivered two babies since she'd given birth to Vidina, and neither of the other births had had any complications. The mothers had been fine, lively once more after a few days' rest, no worse for the wear. Why hadn't Rikku turned out the same?

Thankfully, the baby was healthy. She was absolutely radiant. Lulu couldn't help her need to hold the little person tightly, to be a mother while her own was unable to be one. She'd remained with the baby all evening, until Paine had come in to take over. And while she couldn't help her need to mother the little child, she also couldn't help feeling as if she was the reason that the little girl's mother was lying unconscious, pale and unmoving.

Lulu could hurt and heal with magic, but this was one thing magic couldn't fix. Even the most powerful Firaga spell wouldn't be able to dry her tears as the sunlight spilled over the city.

* * *

Paine had watched Lulu as she rocked the baby and smiled, talking to her in a kind and warm voice. In a person who had a personality so similar to her own, this was a rare occasion. While she was often warm and loving with Vidina, her own child, Paine had never seen her act that way toward anyone else.

Dawn arrived, and with it, the little blonde infant began to fuss. Really, she was the best behaved newborn Paine had ever seen. She didn't squall and scream, she only fussed. She didn't protest when picked up. Paine didn't have much experience with babies, but she knew that a good baby was rare. You could hear Vidina the human alarm clock from across the village. This one was an angel.

"Your father really needs to decide on a name for you… otherwise you're going to end up with so many nicknames that you won't know what to answer to." Paine reached down and gently picked the little one up, placing her head on her shoulder and rocking her back and forth awkwardly in an attempt to calm her. "How are you this fine morning, hm?"

The baby stared at her and sucked in a big breath, yawning.

Paine gave a thin grin. "Whoa there. Still tired? I know how you feel, I really do."

The baby gave off a little coo and blinked her big baby eyes, her little hand grasping Paine's shirt. Paine smiled and suddenly felt more comfortable as she talked to the child, walking back and forth across the nursery.

"I like you already. You're a lot more quiet that your mother or your aunt. And you're certainly not acting like your father." The baby cooed again. "Yeah… he needed to sleep, so Auntie Lulu and I sent him away. He'll be back though, don't worry. You won't be stuck with me for much longer."

Paine walked over to the counter and began to prepare a bottle, still rocking the infant back and forth. "You know, your mother was really scared about you. She couldn't wait to meet you and all, but… she said that she didn't know how to take care of a baby, how to talk to someone who can't answer you… but really, I don't know what she was scared about. It isn't that difficult. It's good to have someone to talk to who won't think about what you're saying, or give you an opinion, I think. You're a good girl, just listening to me blab on." Shaking up the bottle, she took a seat in the little chair near the window.

The baby eagerly began to drink, kicking her little legs around happily as she did so. Paine smiled as she watched. She shook her head and looked out the window. "But I had that before… she might have thrown in her own little comments from time to time, but Rikku was always there just to listen. I didn't need to talk very often, she really took care of that for me most of the time, but whenever I needed her, she would just stop everything and… be a friend." The young woman ran a hand through her short hair, staring out at the glowing harbor. "There are only a few people in this world who could stand me long enough to be my friend, you know? I'm really glad that she's one of them. She… she's bold, and different. Not afraid to speak her mind. She always manages to keep everyone in good spirits."

Looking down at the little girl in her arms, Paine felt the unfamiliar burn of tears forming behind her eyes. "I need you to help her wake up, okay? She's one of my best friends… one of my only friends, really. I'm not sentimental all that often, but… I actually miss her begging me not to take away respect points." Paine smiled and wiped at her eyes before the tears could spill over.

* * *

Vidina's loud crying woke me up. I looked out the window, squinting in the bright light of mid-morning. I heard Wakka's frustrated yelling and I pushed myself out of bed. The blissful escape of sleep was out of my hands, now, and I had to return to reality.

After a quick shower, I hastily pulled on some jeans and a black t-shirt and made my way downstairs. Yuna was running around in the kitchen, tossing various ingredients into assorted pans on the stove. Wakka was busy cleaning up after Vidina, who was throwing handfuls of his scrambled eggs across the room, yelling loudly. As soon as I entered the room, Yuna stopped her bustling and Wakka stopped cleaning. Both watched me as I approached the counter. I looked back at them in confusion, with fear. "Is something wrong?"

"No, no… nothing's wrong. Would… would you like something to eat?" Yuna asked me cordially. I shrugged and she began to pile food on a plate.

Wakka motioned to me and pointed at Vidina. "See what you are going to have to deal with? Little devil…" I grinned and mussed the little boy's hair. He yelled happily in response.

"It's good to see someone who isn't bothered by the situation." I sat at the table, and Yuna handed the plate to me in silence. "Thanks." Wakka sat with me, and Yuna handed him a plate as well.

The two of us ate, watching Vidina as he made a mess. Yuna actually threatened the little boy with a Stop spell at one point, before she took his eggs away, making him whine. Wakka shook his head. "As much as I love the kid, sometimes I just wanna kill him, ya?"

I grinned and pointed a fork at the little boy, who was watching us with jealousy in his eyes. "You behave and stop stressing Yuna out. Maybe she'll give your food back." Vidina quieted and looked to Yuna patiently, making Wakka choke on his hash browns.

Yuna shook her head and gave the little boy his eggs back. "No more throwing." Then, she placed more plates on the table and sat with us.

I looked at her in confusion. "Why is there an extra setting? One for Tidus, yeah, but… who else? Is Lulu coming home for breakfast?"

Yuna shook her head in disbelief. "I told you that he was coming today! Don't you remember?"

"Who?" I asked. Yuna and Wakka looked toward the doorway. Tidus stood there with a bald man.

I gulped as this bald man stared at me. "… _Cid_. Yeah… yeah, now that I think about it, you did mention that he would be… here. Today."

* * *

Awkward could not completely describe how I felt. See, the word 'awkward' does not imply that there are any accompanying feelings along with the main one of awkwardness. It doesn't include dread, or uncertainty, or even unhappiness, but only that feeling of _feeling_ awkward. And since I was feeling dread, uncertainty, and unhappiness along with the awkward… no words to describe, it. Not one.

The uncomfortable silence that spanned between us as we walked down the streets of Luca toward the hospital… I could deal with it. But then he had to do the evil deed of starting a conversation.

"How you been, boy?" His voice was gruff as ever. His manner was as well.

I shrugged and looked at the ground. "Not so good. You?"

"Not so good myself, actually." He sighed heavily and cuffed me heavily on the back. I took it as a nice gesture, even though it… kinda hurt… a little. "Can I ask you a little question, son?"

I nodded, feeling a bit uncomfortable. "Sure, Cid…"

"**Why the hell are you out here when you should be with my _daughter_ and my _granddaughter_**?" he thundered. I cowered away from him awkwardly (indeed). Sailors on the nearby dock turned at the sound of the loud voice that echoed throughout the still mostly empty streets. I'd forgotten that the blitz finals for the season had started a few hours before.

"I… I…"

"**_Well_**?"

"Lulu told me that I needed to get some sleep since I've barely slept since I got here, and she told me to go to the house. Last night was the first time in two days that I haven't been with _Rikku_ or _my daughter_! So… I'm **_sorry_** that I might look like I don't care, but I needed both rest and food so that I would be able to stay there all day and night today, _as I plan to do_." I'd never been scared around Cid. And while I'd been cowering moments before, I wasn't going to stand down to his _implied_ accusations. Let's face it… I was angry, again, and since he wasn't Yuna… I wasn't afraid to speak my mind.

The streets were strangely quiet now. He looked at me with a strange emotion in his eyes. Then he nodded in approval. "That's new…"

I looked at him in confusion as we continued our trek to the hospital. "What is?"

"Both of us being able to talk about a daughter in the possessive sense." I pointed out the building and shook my head.

"That's new, too," I muttered.

He glared at me… at least, I think it was a glare. It was the same look that's always embedded upon his features, in any case… whatever you would call it. "What is?"

"You speaking intelligently." I smiled a bit, in an attempt to 'lighten the mood'. He smacked me across the back of the head as we entered the hospital doors.

* * *

I knew without a doubt that he would want to see Rikku first, and so I took him to her without question. I introduced him to Rikku's doctor, whose name I (embarrassingly) didn't remember. Cid remained outside to speak with him while I entered the room.

Lulu was sitting at the bedside, dozing slightly. I walked up behind her a placed a hand on her shoulder, making her jump. "Lu… you can go back to the house… Wakka and Yuna are desperately trying to control your son." I gave her a weak smile. She groaned and wiped the sleep from her eyes.

"Must I leave? He isn't throwing food again, is he?" I grinned at her, and she pushed herself out of the chair. "I'll be back tonight so that you can sleep, okay?"

I shook my head and looked to Rikku. "No, thanks… I… my place is here. Thanks for last night, though, I needed it." She nodded and smoothed Rikku's hair back from her forehead.

"I'll see you soon…" she whispered, before straightening and smiling a bit. "She's got a bit more color today. And her fever went down a bit."

I smiled widely, the first true smile I'd given since I'd first held my daughter. Lulu grinned at me as I sat in her vacated chair, holding Rikku's cool hand. "Thanks, Lulu."

She exited the room as Cid walked inside. My smile faded and I gripped Rikku's hand tightly, almost as if I was begging her to lend me strength, even though I knew she didn't have any reserves to lend.

For the first time in my life, the man who'd lead our people through all the hard times looked absolutely torn. Even when Home had been destroyed, he'd never looked like this. He looked to me and with a little nod, he sat on Rikku's other side.

"My baby girl… I saw her not three weeks ago, and she was looking just fine." He hesitantly took her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing it softly.

I stayed silent. I loved her, yes, but I now knew how he felt. His daughter was here, incapacitated and silent… I would give anything for my own baby girl if she was lying here. But there was nothing anyone could do.

Cid couldn't take his eyes off her. "You know what she said to me, last time I saw her?" I shook my head, and he sighed heavily. "'Why are any of you listening to me?'" He closed his eyes and squeezed her hand gently. "She asked us not to tell you just after she arrived in Besaid, the day she told everyone that she was pregnant. And we listened to her, because we thought she wanted it. But really, I think it was a plea for us to tell you so that she wouldn't have to."

I looked away guiltily. "She tried to tell me, I just wasn't listening as closely as I should have."

Cid looked at me and nodded his head. "Everyone makes mistakes, Gippal. And one of mine was not going straight to Djose to tell you about the baby."

"Y'know, Cid… everyone seems to think that I'm angry that she didn't tell me about the baby. I was, at first, but… I'm angrier at myself. I could have been with her, all this time, but… I messed it up. I took her for granted."

He smiled weakly at me. "She said that you mentioned your responsibility to the Machine Faction." I nodded and sat back in my chair. "Well, you didn't mess anything up, Gippal. You do have a responsibility to the Faction, and to your career. Rikku understood that, I think. That's why she left."

"But my first responsibility should have been to _her_. I love her, Cid." I looked him in the eyes as I said this, and his expression softened. "I love her so much it hurts."

"I'm sure she'd be glad to hear that. I know I am." Cid glanced down at his daughter before looking back at me. "What's your first responsibility now, son?"

I stared down at Rikku and sighed heavily. "Rikku and the baby."

He smiled and walked over to the window. "Good answer." He looked back toward the bed and shook his head, his eyes dark. "I never wanted to see this sight again," he murmured.

I watched him as he watched her, uncertain. "Cid?"

"… my late wife was about eight and a half months pregnant with Rikku when she started having complications." I stared down at Rikku as I listened to the older man talk. "Two days after she went into labor, my little girl was born, healthy and happy. Her mama wasn't so lucky. She… she was in and out of consciousness for a few days. The doctors could slow the process, but they weren't able to stop her from passin'. Rikku never got to know her mama, and there I was, alone with a newborn and a three year old, leading a whole race of people. I didn't do the best job in raising those two, I know, but I know I did the best I could by myself.

"It almost tore my heart into pieces, watching her waste away when she should have been… full of life." He shook his head and wiped at his eyes, which had begun to glisten. "I don't want my baby to end up the same way, is all. But it's too similar for comfort."

I stood uncomfortably. "I… I'm going to go and get the baby. I'm sure you want to see her." I walked out of the room and left him alone with his daughter and his memories. I was more scared now than before. Rikku's mother had died after giving birth… I couldn't stand the thought of fate bestowing the same destiny upon her daughter.

Cid held his daughter's hand once more, closing his eyes, looking for comfort in an upside down atmosphere.

* * *

_A little girl with dirty blonde hair sat in the sand, surrounded by screwdrivers and wrenches, nuts and bolts. There was a little toy doll not far from where she sat, thrown carelessly into the dune. She appeared to be far more intrigued by the tiny machina she was trying to rebuild. _

"_Rikku!" Her father sat next to her, and she looked up at him in frustration. "What are you doing, hm?"_

"_Daddy, this machina won't stay together! I've tried and tried, but it won't stay!" There were little angry tears in her eyes as she threw her screwdriver into the sand. _

_The man smiled and pulled her into his lap. "Want me to help you fix it?" Rikku's expression brightened as she nodded. He rolled onto his stomach in the warm sands just outside of Home, and patiently showed her how to tighten all the joints and how to properly use a wrench. _

_After about an hour of working, the little machina suddenly sprang to life, and began whirring and floating a few inches off the ground. The little girl giggled with delight and watched as it flew about over the sands. Then, she threw herself at her father, giving him a big hug. _

"_I love you, Daddy."_

"_I love you, too, sweetheart."_

* * *

I returned with my daughter in my arms. It was her first trip out of the nursery, and she was blinking furiously in the bright light from the open windows. I couldn't help but smile down at her as I walked toward Rikku's room.

When I entered, I grinned over at Cid, who instantly stood in an effort to see her. "This is your granddaughter. Gorgeous, ain't she?"

Cid, such a gruff man, was extremely gentle with her. He held her close to him and talked to her in soft Al Bhed, obviously entranced. I watched with a little feeling of pride as I sat next to Rikku. I realized that this was the first time since birth that the baby had been so close to her mother, and I smiled sadly.

Cid caught my look and stopped bouncing the baby for a moment. "What's wrong, kid?"

"What if she doesn't wake up? I wasted all that time in Djose… I love her, and I didn't even chase her because I thought that she'd changed her mind about loving me. If she doesn't open her eyes, I don't know what I'll do. I'm not strong enough to lose her again…"

He held my gaze for a long time. "I'm not strong enough to lose her, either, son."

* * *

_Three outlooks, one of Cid's favorite memories, a little back-story. I hope you all liked this chapter. Thanks for all the reviews and good feedback. Please, if you have any constructive criticism, I'd greatly appreciate hearing it! Also, I received a review on my other fic, **Take It All Away**, regarding the whole Al Bhed thing. If you need a good translator, go to Google and search Al Bhed Translators and you'll get a good selection. Just wanted to make that known (Jen, I did post a review on **TIAA** about that issue, but I wasn't sure if you saw it… I know you read this fic too and I just remembered, so yeah… LOL). In any case, thank you all so much for the reviews! I hope you enjoyed._

_Please Review!_


	8. Back Here Again

_**Lie In The Sound  
**__**Chapter 8: Back Here Again**_

* * *

I felt almost as if I were back on the dock, watching the dolphins play… hating myself for what I'd done and what I could not do. I listened as he told me that he needed me to come back to him. But... I couldn't answer. I was isolated, on that dock, with the world bustling around me, continuing on even though I did not feel as if I was part of it. I was isolated, too, in this hell over which I had no control. I was trapped in my own mind, kept there by some force that I could not see.

* * *

_He rested his head on my shoulder as we lay there together, waiting for our breathing to slow, holding each other tightly in silence. I loved these times, when the entire world consisted only of us, when our minds and bodies mingled. Our eyes met often, and we could have an entire conversation without saying a word. _

_He gently caressed the back of my hand, a gesture that told me more than any spoken word could. A crack of thunder shattered my calm as I jumped, pushing him off me as I sat straight up in bed. _

"_Rikku, it's okay… just some thunder."_

"_I don't like thunder!" I looked back at him as he attempted to fix the bedclothes, which my sudden flailing had thrown into chaos. _

"_I know." A bright flash illuminated the room, and another boom went off as I squealed in fright and jumped into his arms. He laughed and smoothed my hair back, kissing my forehead. "I've got you." He held me tightly; I felt safe in his embrace… I never wanted to leave it._

* * *

Tidus took the infant from the little crib in the corner of Rikku's room. The nurses and doctors had decided to let the child stay in the same room as her mother. Gippal looked more cheerful than he had in days when he got the news. Cid had wanted to talk to him privately, and the two had left the hospital and hour or so earlier.

It was the first time he'd held the little one, and as he looked down at her slightly bruised face, he was sorely reminded of Rikku as she looked out over the bay. She was sleeping soundly, completely calm. "I want to tell you something," he began, rocking the baby back and forth ever so slightly.

"When your mama came to Besaid and told us all that she was going to have you, she was _so_ excited. All she wanted was for everything to be perfect. She didn't want to let you down, and she felt horrible for hiding you from your daddy. She only wanted the best for you." Tidus looked back to the bed where his best friend lay, motionless.

In truth, the young man had been blaming himself for the entire situation. She'd been crying on the beach. She'd been upset, stressed, scared. What if stress had caused her to go into her early labor? Why had he coaxed her to walk back to the village after those first few pains? He should have gone to get help instead of allowing her to complete the long, hilly walk to the village. He should have known that something was wrong the first time she'd had to stop walking and lean against the cliffside.

"I know… I know that all this is just another trial, you know? I… she only wanted the best for you, for everyone, and look at her!"

So much had happened since he'd met Rikku. In all truth, she was his best friend. He loved Yuna, but in a way, he loved Rikku just as much. His heart was being torn into pieces as he watched the woman who had been squeezing the feeling out of his hand just days ago waste away in a pathetic hospital gurney. He rocked the baby, who had begun to fuss, and stared out the window, his blue eyes flashing with anger and sadness. _Who deserves this?_

* * *

I walked along the little stretch of sand that lined the coast. The ocean breeze blew my already disheveled hair into disarray. With my hands in my pockets, I kicked at the white sand half-heartedly. I watched as the wind blew it back to the ground. As the sand flew through the air, the pattern was unpredictable, but once gravity ended the flight, it all settled once more, blended the miniscule grains back into the smooth blanket of its fellows.

Nearly two days had passed, and nothing had changed. True, her face had regained some color, but it was still much too pale. Her fever had gone down, but it had still existed. She was still unconscious. She wasn't responding to anything I'd tried.

I was too scared to try and talk to her, though. We'd talked during the labor, but it had been awkward. We hadn't really talked since the day she'd tried to tell me about our daughter.

And there came the anger again. The pent up anger that I'd pushed away for the six months she'd been missing from my life, the anger I'd suppressed on the Highroad when I'd arrived, the anger I'd let loose on Yuna. I'd denied that I was mad. But I was mad, at everything.

"Why is this happening?" I yelled out over the bay, waiting for an answer I knew the ocean would not give. "I hate this. I hate everything… I'm mad at myself! I'm mad at the doctors... I'm mad at Cid, and Yuna, Tidus, and Paine and Lulu. I hate to admit it, but I'm mad at the baby, too." I tasted the salt of the ocean spray, and stepped into the water, the cold liquid stinging my skin.

"I don't want to say it… I don't, I can't…" I mumbled, dragging my hands through my hair. I was torn. No one would hear me, I knew. I would hear myself, though, and that is exactly what I didn't want. I didn't want to admit it to myself.

"I'm mad at you, Rikku. I'm so, _so_ mad at you." I realized that the salt I tasted was not the ocean spray, but rather, my own tears. The tears I'd tried so hard to contain, the tears I'd let loose once or twice. I backpedaled through the water, and fell back onto the beach, sobbing uncontrollably for the first time since I'd arrived. And I began to scream out at the water. "How could you do this to me? How could you just leave and never give me a reason? You never told me about my child, and now her well being is _my_ responsibility. I barely had time to get used to the idea of a baby, and I've barely had time to get used to taking care of one! I'm angry… I need you to wake up! I can't raise her alone… and I'll never forgive you if I have to."

And as I cried on the sand, I felt a certain release. Blessed relief filled my soul, and I took momentary comfort in it. For once, I didn't feel guilty about my anger. I let it in. I embraced it. And I let myself cry.

* * *

Wakka sat next to his wife in Rikku's room. Tidus and Yuna had gone for a bite to eat, Paine was back at the house with Vidina, and Gippal was still gone. As he looked at the diminished physique of the once lively girl he now considered a sister, he shook his head. "Never thought Rikku would end up like this."

"I didn't think it would take so much out of her. She was always one of the strongest of our group on the road. She's always been determined in everything she does."

He reached out and put a reassuring hand on Lulu's shoulder. "She'll wake up, Lu. Sooner or later."

Lulu shook her head and looked to Wakka with tears in her eyes. "This is _my_ fault, Wakka…" she whispered, almost too quiet to hear.

He was shocked at first, but then he shook his head. "There was nothin' you could do. Things happen, and we have to go with it, ya?" He shrugged. "You gotta have faith, Lu, and you gotta stop lookin' for someone to blame."

When she didn't respond, he crossed his arms and stared at his friend. "I used to have faith in the teachings. They were something solid, with a history, ya? Well… I think it would be better to have faith in Rikku. She's a solid, dependable girl. She's got a history of surprising all of us. I know, deep down, that she'll be alright. We just have to give her time to heal. Who knows? Maybe we all need the time to heal, too."

A soft cry came from the crib in the corner. Wakka didn't hesitate to go to the little girl and pick her up. Lulu watched him as he smiled at her and hummed the old Hymn of the Fayth to soothe her. _Maybe he's right… this can only get better…_

* * *

I'd gone back at suppertime to feed my daughter, but once she had fallen back to sleep, I felt the need to run away again. Lulu was there to watch her, and so I'd gone back out to the beach to watch the sunset. Rikku and I had watched many sunsets together. The colors didn't seem as bright without her there beside me.

I had planned on remaining with my girls all day and all night, but Cid's tale had frightened me. How could I sit in that hospital room, holding the beautiful baby girl whom I couldn't bear to give a name, waiting for her mother's condition to better or worsen? I wasn't strong enough for it. I wanted to be there for my baby, for the woman I loved, but I simply couldn't.

In all honesty, I felt like a coward, like a failure, and like a fool. Even if she wasn't awake or responsive, Rikku was still alive, and I should have been spending every spare moment with her. I should have been strong for my child, and I should have tried to be the good father that I desperately wanted to be. I should _not_ be hiding on a beach, waiting for the city to sleep so that I could return in peace, without having to look at the clueless population of Luca or wondering why I couldn't be one of them.

The moonlight was strong on the water, casting a silver glow over everything the light touched. The air was still warm, but not too warm. The breeze had stilled, and the sands remained in their solitary slumber, beautiful and entrancing at the same time. The night was perfect.

I shook my head, amazed that no matter how hard I tried, everything I saw reminded me of her. I was angrier than I'd ever been with her, yes, but… I still loved her more than I ever had.

My thoughts were harshly interrupted. "Gippal! _Gippal_, are you out there!" Yuna's voice carried on the calm air. I stood and looked around, barely spotting her on the docks. She saw me, as well, and ran quickly over the sand.

Her face was pale. Something was wrong. "What happened?"

"She went… white, Gippal, white as a gull, and her fever shot up. She almost stopped breathing… the doctors are with her now, they think she might have started to bleed again." Yuna's hands were shaking violently. I was pale. I reached out for her hands and squeezed them reassuringly, though I too was upset.

"Let's go, then."

She and I began to jog back down the beach. "The baby started crying as soon as all the monitors went off. She's been quiet since she was born, you know, but now she won't stop. Lulu and Wakka have been trading off, and Tidus stayed with Rikku. Uncle Cid tried to calm her down, too, but nothing is working. I… I couldn't find you. I thought you might have left or something."

"I would never just leave, Yuna, I'm not as bad of a person as many think I am." I was angered at her comment, but I was much too worried about everything to make a big deal out of it.

"I never said you were, I just couldn't find you. If I were you, I'd try to get away for a little while, too."

* * *

"Come on, angel, ssh… it's alright, Daddy's here now… Hey, sweetie, it's okay, calm down…" I'd never heard a more painful sound than the anguished cry of a child. I'd heard the nurses talking about how babies could sense when something was wrong. I was trying my hardest to calm myself in order to calm her, but it was futile. I now knew the difference between a whine and a cry. This cry had tears, and it was much more violent and emotional. A whine was simply a way for the child to demand attention.

I rested her little head on my shoulder and bounced her ever so gently, walking up and down the hall as I waited for the doctors to inform me of Rikku's condition. I rubbed her back softly, and held her tight, tucking her little pink blanket around her. She was gasping for air in between screams, and my heart was tearing at the sight and sound of it. "Baby, it's okay now, I've got you… you can calm down… ssh, everything's going to be okay…"

She hiccupped and sucked in a deep breath, her cries reducing a bit in volume. "That's it… calm, angel, calm down…" I could feel her grab a fistful of my shirt. Her little body was shaking as she slowly but surely stopped squalling. She was still whimpering, but her exhaustion was getting the better of her. I continued to walk her up and down the hall. A doctor that I didn't recognize emerged from Rikku's room and approached me. Other patients and their guests were staring at me from their rooms, and I suddenly realized that I'd probably kept many of them awake by parading my daughter through the hallway. Thankfully, no one seemed to mind.

"Gippal?"

"Yeah, that's me… is Rikku alright?" I stopped walking, but I rocked back and forth, from side to side. Babies liked motion, I knew. If I stopped moving, she would probably begin her squalling again.

"We were able to catch the new hemorrhage in time. She lost a good amount of blood. We're going to give her another transfusion, and we're going to try to bring down her fever."

I hesitantly looked the doctor in the eyes. "Is she going to wake up, ma'am? Honestly. I don't want or need any of your fancy mumbo-jumbo. I just want to know if she's going to make it through this."

The woman gave me a soft smile, and understanding smile. "From what I've heard about Miss Rikku, she is capable of pulling through. She has lost a large amount of blood in the past few days, and she's working against statistics at the moment. Personally, I believe that she can make it. But it's up to her. I don't have any way of waking her up or of knowing all the answers, Gippal. No one does." She nodded and walked off down the hall toward another room. I slowly made my way to Rikku's room.

As I relayed the news to those who sat outside, the other doctors gave us the okay to go inside. Rikku was stable once more. I took the seat next to her, with the baby in my arms. The six of us adults took various seats around the room. Cid had tears in his eyes. Lulu and Yuna were both pale. Wakka watched Rikku, a strange expression in his eyes. Tidus looked how I felt… numb.

* * *

_Thanks for all the reviews! Okay, so this next week and a half, I have finals, and play practice, and color guard auditions, etc, etc, etc. Therefore… there most likely won't be any updates until June 3, 2005. But then summer is coming! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Thanks for all your support._

_Please Review!_


	9. Daughter Of The Sands

_**Lie In The Sound  
**__**Chapter 9: Daughter of the Sands**_

* * *

_Gippal watched over his crew as they worked on a massive airship engine. His old eye patch covered his right eye. His skin was still as tan as it had always been, but for some reason, it had taken on a harsher sheen. A light stubble covered his chin, his entire stance weary. At a close glance, one would be able to see the dark circles beneath his eyes. Anyone who'd known Gippal when he was younger would remember him as spirited and energetic. Anyone who saw him now would see only an exhausted shell of the promising young man, a flower that had begun to shrivel, no longer a blooming bud. _

_In a gruff voice, he called out to one of the new workers. "Watch it! Don't forget to put all the screws back in, kid, that's how we lose money."_

_The young man nodded hesitantly and went back to work as Gippal shook his head. Suddenly, he felt a little tug at his shirt hem. He turned to see a little blonde girl, her hair messy from the desert wind. "Daddy!" She jumped at him, her arms outstretched, and his tired eyes brightened slightly. He grinned widely and picked her up, squeezing her tight._

"_Hey, angel… what're you doin' out here, kiddo?" He swung her around in a little circle, making her giggle in delight, before setting the little girl on his hip. _

_She looked at the workers, the wind blowing her hair into her eyes. Frustrated, she pulled her white blonde strands away from her eyes before pointing to the same new worker Gippal had been watching. "Daddy, he's forgetting to put the bolts on."_

_Gippal nodded gruffly and leaned his forehead against hers. "I know, sweetie. Want to help me fix it later?"_

_She nodded with a smile and gave him a hug, which he returned readily. His workers smiled as they saw the man holding his daughter. Only when she was around did he look lively. They liked to see their boss happy… the little girl tended to keep his mind off of their mistakes, which he was much too skilled at catching._

"_Grandpa said that everyone needs to come inside. He's not in a good mood, today."_

_Gippal's expression darkened for a moment. "No one is, today, sweetheart."_

_Her expression was confused. She jumped out of his arms and took his hand as he called out to the workers and told them to go in. Once the men were gone, the two walked down to the engine. Gippal helped his daughter to screw on the bolts that the worker had forgotten. She liked working with the machina, and he enjoyed watching her as she concentrated on her work. When she finished, she was beaming happily. _

_As the two made their way over the dunes toward the large building at the main camp on Bikanel, Gippal noticed his daughter's unusual silence. "Something wrong, angel?"_

_Her little five year old face looked troubled, a rarity. "Vydran… I want to go and see Mommy." Gippal frowned and stopped walking, looking out over the desert distractedly. The little girl waited patiently as he thought. _

"_I don't know if that's a good idea, honey, it's not something that we do." He pulled a hand through his already disheveled hair, glancing at his daughter, mentally kicking himself when he saw the tears welling up in her bright green eyes._

"_But, Daddy! You promised!" she cried out, obviously upset._

"_I know I did, but I… I just don't think it's a good idea, sweetie. E's cunno…"_

"_Aunt Yunie is going to go and see her! Why can't we?" The poor little girl didn't understand. Gippal hated to upset her… even during those first days in the hospital, he'd always hated it when she cried. He knew that she didn't understand, but he also knew that he didn't have the heart to explain it to her. And he didn't have the heart to tell her no._

* * *

_He'd avoided coming to this place for five long years. He'd promised his daughter that he would take her to visit her mother… the little girl was growing up too fast. She was already smart, and curious, just as she should be. He couldn't shelter her forever, and he couldn't hide away in the sands of Bikanel forever, either. _

_Both he and the little one were subdued as they walked up the stairs. She held her father's hand tightly, nervous as they reached the top. _

_Yuna was standing in the corner of the platform. She turned at the sound of footsteps, her eyes wide with shock. "I didn't think you were going to come," she whispered quietly._

_Gippal fought to keep his mind blank. "I didn't think I was, either."_

"_Aunt Yunie!" The little girl hugged her aunt tightly, smiling. Yuna smiled back softly, finger combing the little girl's unruly hair back from her eyes. _

"_Hey, you! I know we only saw each other last week, but I think you've grown a few inches since then!" The little girl giggled and skipped around. Yuna looked toward Gippal, who hesitated at the entrance. "Are you alright?"_

"… _no."_

"_Do you want me to take her?" _

_He nodded, silently. Yuna turned slowly, looking toward the edge of the platform. _

_Gippal watched as his daughter looked confusedly at the pyreflies. "When is she going to come, Auntie?" He closed his eyes and rubbed at his temple, wanting to block out the conversation, but knowing that he needed to hear it._

_Yuna's calm voice wavered a bit. "Just think about her, sweetie."_

"_But… I don't remember her. Will it work?" Her voice was so innocent, curious, and pure. Gippal took a few steps toward the entrance, trying to distract himself._

"_You won't know unless you try." Suddenly, he couldn't help himself. He turned to watch. Her bright eyes were closed, her little lips set in a line of determination. He knew that expression so well… Rikku had always worn it when he'd teased her or called her 'Cid's girl'. _

_And then, she was there, clear as day before the three of them. Yuna was silent as she looked back to Gippal, watching as he looked on with a broken expression on his face. He unconsciously removed the eye patch… she'd never liked it. _

"_Hi, Mama… you're just as pretty as in all the pictures." The little girl's voice was the only sound on the platform. "I'm sorry it took so long for me to come and see you… Daddy wanted to wait."_

_Gippal took in a deep breath of guilt. Rikku's image in the pyreflies looked in his direction. He looked away. _So this is why people stay away from the Farplane… I don't know if that's really her or if she's just a figment of our imaginations…

"_I turned five last week! I wish you could have been there, Mama, there was a big cake, and Uncle Tidus taught me how to play blitzball! And Vidina sat on a cactus! I got a lot of presents, too, but… I don't really want any of them. I told Daddy that all I wanted was to come and see you, but he still got me stuff. But he did bring me to see you, today, so I guess its okay." _

_Yuna stared at Gippal, who looked both transfixed and ashamed. Listening to the one sided conversation was breaking both their hearts, she knew. "I wish you could answer me, Mama, but I know you can't. It's okay, though, don't worry. I don't mind." Rikku's image was frowning now. "I just wanted to come and see you and say I love you and say I'm sorry." _

_Yuna looked toward the little girl as Rikku shook her head. "Why do you want to tell her you're sorry, sweetie?" _

_The little girl looked as if she was going to cry. "I want to go home, now." She waved sadly at Rikku's image and walked toward her father. Rikku's eyes followed her, and lingered on Gippal for a moment. Then she looked toward Yuna, who was watching the little blonde. Gippal took his daughter's hand and the two exited the Farplane. _

_He stopped her at the bottom of the stairs. "Why did you say that you were sorry?"_

"… _because it's my fault she's not here." The little girl began to cry, and she buried her face in her father's chest. _

_He hugged her tightly, shaking his head. "No, sweetie, it isn't your fault! Don't you ever think that!"_

"_But it's true!"_

"_No, sweetie, it isn't! It isn't anyone's fault!" He began to cry as well, and his daughter looked up at him with her bright green eyes in shock. He only cried when he thought no one was looking, or so she thought._

"_Daddy… I want Mommy to come back…" She wrapped her little fist in a handful of his shirt and shook in his grip. _

"_I do too, honey, I do too…" Gippal held her tightly as they both cried, hating himself for allowing her to think that Rikku's death was her fault._

* * *

"No!" I cried out, sitting straight up in the little, uncomfortable cot. My eyes were moist, and my vision blurred. I looked frantically about the dimly lit room. There was a crib in the corner, and an infant was sleeping peacefully inside it. Rikku was breathing steadily on the bed in the center of the room. I watched her for a few moments before I ran my hands through my hair, hugging my knees tightly. I was shaking, I noted. As I wiped at my eyes, I tried to steady my hands. "It was just a dream, Gippal… just a dream…"

But it wasn't just a dream. It was a nightmare. A nightmare that I desperately wanted to stay locked away, a nightmare that I never wanted to come true.

* * *

_I've had this one planned out for some time. I cried when the little girl cried. (Yes, I have her name… I can't say it, though I'm tired of finding synonyms for little girl or baby.) I hope you all liked it. Thanks very much for your reviews, I greatly appreciate them!_

_(06.02.05: Jen! Thanks so much for pointing out the last paragraph tense switches… I fixed it. I must admit, I was crying at the end myself as I wrote it, so… I forgot to stay in the first person. However, now it's fixed! Thanks so much, and everyone else, thanks for the reviews so far. You all never seize to amaze me, with how fast you respond to my updates!)  
_

_Please Review!_


	10. Don't Know What To Say

_**Lie In The Sound  
**_**_Chapter 10: Don't Know What To Say_**

* * *

_I sat on the floor in the bathroom, leaning back against the cool wall with my eyes closed, breathing deeply. The stone floor was cold, but I didn't care. I was sweating, dizzy, and sick to my stomach. I groaned and coughed, bracing myself as I returned to my position near the toilet._

_It was a rarity for me to get violently ill. When I was growing up, the Al Bhed doctors on Bikanel had made sure to administer vaccinations to all the residents of the island to protect from both the desert illnesses and those from the mainland. I rarely was ill, and I usually knew I was getting sick before I began to suffer the effects of the illness. I'd felt fine the day before, and I was absolutely baffled as to why I was so sick, now._

_The sickness passed in about an hour, and I hesitantly made my way back into my room to get ready for work. _

* * *

"Guess what? You're a week old, today!" Tidus was rocking the baby back and forth as Yuna watched in silence. "Such a big girl!"

Yuna gave Tidus a very dry stare. "Who would have known that you would open up around kids? Who could have guessed?"

"I like Vidina…" He shrugged and shook the baby's bottle a bit, bouncing her a bit as she whined. "And this little cutie just makes my heart melt." He grinned at Yuna as he sat back in the chair. "You know I like kids. Hell… I'm just a big kid, myself."

She smiled and shook her head. "Yeah, but still. I never expected you to be this animated around them."

He shook his head and offered the little one her bottle. "Yeah, yeah, eat. I know, you're a growing girl, you need your food." He looked at Yuna and shrugged. "It's better than being reserved and making them nervous."

"True." For the past few days, since Rikku had relapsed into a critical condition, Tidus had been jumping at every chance to spend time with the infant that had presented itself. The night before, he'd even forced Gippal to go to the house and rest while he'd watched the little one and her mother. Lulu had reported that the young man had retreated to his little bedroom in the back of the house, and no one had seen him since.

Yuna regarded him with a strange feeling in her heart as he rocked the little girl back and forth, talking to her quietly. He was absolutely absorbed in the infant, and she found it endearing. "Tidus?" she asked, interrupting his one-sided conversation with the child.

"Yeah?" he asked, not looking up.

"Why are you so involved with the baby? I like it, but… I haven't seen you so consumed by anything since… since Sin." His face darkened as the words left her lips.

"I… I don't know." He was hesitant.

"Yeah, you do. You just don't want to tell me about it." He looked up at her with a guilty look in his eyes. "It's okay. I understand if you don't want to say anything."

"Yuna, I… I was looking forward to this baby being born. I wanted to be kind of like… the father figure, you know?" He looked hesitant as he talked. The baby was sucking on her bottle, oblivious. "Gippal wasn't going to be around, and Rikku is my best friend, so I thought it would be good for her to have someone who was willing to help out. And now, Rikku's not awake, and Gippal is exhausted. I just feel like I need to help. I wish I could do something more than watching her every now and then."

Yuna sighed and nodded. "I can understand that." The two were silent for a long while as they watched the baby. Then, Yuna cocked an eyebrow. "You wanted to be the father figure?"

Tidus blushed visibly. "Yeah. Wakka's mature now that he's all fatherly. It would be nice to be a little more mature, I think."

Yuna began to giggle helplessly. Tidus watched her in shock. "Yuna… what's funny about that!"

She just shook her head and continued to laugh. After a while, he began to laugh as well, until both of them were gasping for breath. When they finally calmed down, they became solemn once more. It was just like being back on the pilgrimage. Laughter was all that could keep them going.

The infant began to vocalize loudly and kicked her little arms and legs around. Tidus held onto her tightly as she made funny little faces. He and Yuna smiled softly at each other and watched her, happy that at least one person could find a bit of unburdened glee during these times.

* * *

_I crawled up the ladder, climbing toward the top of the tall machina that I'd been working on for the past few days. My mysterious sickness had continued sporadically for the past few days, but I was getting used to it. _

_I took the wrench off of the little tool shelf that hung near the top, and I leaned over the machina, tightening loose bolts, replacing those that were worn. Nooj's patrol models wore down quickly, what with all the fog that frequented Mushroom Rock Road. _

_Suddenly, my vision began to swim and I swayed, coming dangerously close to falling off the step. My partner called out in concern as I grabbed onto the machina, holding it tightly in order to steady myself. "Rikku! You okay up there?" I waited for a moment, taking deep breaths before answering._

"_I'll be fine…"_

* * *

I groaned as a stuffed moogle hit me in the face. Light was flooding into my room, and the harbor was already active. I glanced at the sun and rubbed my face, knowing it was already early afternoon. As I sat up in bed, I picked up the little moogle doll and looked toward the foot of the bed.

Little Vidina was sitting on the ground, happily chewing on a wooden block. I shook my head and tossed the little doll back to him before standing and walking to the dresser where I'd thrown my hastily packed clothing.

As I searched for a clean shirt, I felt a small tug on my pants. The little boy had crawled over to me, the moogle doll in hand. I sighed and looked at him for a moment. "What?"

"Daghhyughhh…" the little boy said, tossing the moogle back at me, giggling happily. I shook my head and picked him up, walking slowly back to the bed.

"What are you trying to tell me, hm?" I asked, grinning as Vidina went off into a wild explanation in baby talk. We tossed the little doll back and forth for a long while. I laughed as he took off down the hallway, looking back over his shoulder and yelling.

I followed him down the hall and into the kitchen, chasing him animatedly and making him laugh before picking him up and looking around the room. Lulu sat behind the table, watching me with a smile on her face. Paine was standing in the doorway, an odd expression gracing her features.

I blushed and set the little boy back down on the ground. "I'll play with you some more tonight, okay?"

"Oooohhh…" The little one crawled beneath the table and tugged at his mother's skirt. She grinned up at me and pulled him into her lap.

"You'll do a fine job with that little girl, Gippal." She smiled and began to play with her son. I flushed again and made my way back to my room to change. Paine followed me.

"I don't think I've ever seen you play with him." She sat back on my bed, crossing her arms as she watched me pull clothing out of my dresser.

I shrugged. "I haven't really spent much time with him or Wakka or Lulu. It would've been awkward if I just randomly picked him up and started antagonizing him, before."

She sighed and looked out at the busy port. "I guess so."

I went and sat next to her, following her gaze. "I heard the nurses talking about this tough looking girl who keeps coming in and playing with my daughter. Any idea who that could be?"

Paine's lips curled up a bit, as if she were trying to suppress a smile. "I might have snuck in a few times."

"I don't think I've ever seen you spend time with a little kid, before."

She shrugged. "Vidina and I get along. And spending time with yours makes me feel a little better about Rikku."

The two of us sat in silence for a moment before Paine uncharacteristically gave me a tight hug. "I miss her so much, Gippal…"

I hugged her back, staring out at the harbor as I did so. "I do, too."

* * *

_Once again, I was on my bathroom floor, my chin resting on my knees. There was a knock on the door, and I ignored it. As the door opened, I desperately hoped that it would be Gippal. We needed to talk… just in case._

_One of the other female workers in the temple, a girl named Adena, peeked inside. Her light green eyes were filled with worry. "Rikku… you've been in there for an hour. Are you feeling alright?"_

_I shook my head. "No…"_

"_What's wrong?"_

"_I keep getting dizzy, and I'm getting sick all the time… and…"_

_She came in and closed the door behind her. Cautiously, she sat beside me and ran her hand comfortingly through my hair. I lifted my head and stared at the opposite wall. "And?"_

"_E's myda…" I whispered, leaning my head back against the wall. Her eyes widened and she stared at me for a long while, speechless._

_Finally, Adena found her words. "Have you talked to him, yet?" Her voice was hushed._

"_No… what am I going to say? I don't even know for sure!"_

"_Well… you could go and visit the Faction doctor and find out! I'll go with you!"_

_I gave her a sad smile. "Gippal would find out about it… if it's just a scare, then I don't want him to get angry at me for not talking about it. And I'd rather not tell him until I know for sure."_

_Adena's eyes held a great deal of confusion. "Why? Would he be mad?"_

"_That's the thing… I don't _know_." I put my head in my hands again, pushing my hair away from my face. Adena gave me a hug, and I leaned my head on her shoulder, grateful for the comfort._

* * *

Wakka sat next to Rikku, looking out at the busy afternoon harbor. Crew members were hurrying to load the last of the day's cargo into the holds. People were waving to those ships that departing for the open seas, bound for the islands or Bevelle and Djose. Down the long walkway to the right of the window, the blitzball stadium stood, casting the usual afternoon shadow over a section of the bay. He looked out into deeper waters as a large red airship landed. "The Celsius…" he muttered, standing and walking to the window.

He watched as an Al Bhed ship went out to the airship, and then returned slowly to the docks. The baby girl begun to fuss in her crib, and Wakka walked over, watching her for a moment before picking her up.

"Your uncle's here to see you, finally. Took him long enough." He shook his head as he glanced back out at the harbor, at the out-of-place airship floating in the bay. "If your mom were awake, they'd start yellin' at each other as soon as he walked in the room…"

He bounced the little girl softly, humming to her to calm her. She cooed at him, making him laugh. "Yeah, I know my singin' isn't great, but at least you like it. Vidina likes it, too, when he isn't bein' a pain." He sat down in the little corner chair and took the little pacifier off the nearby table. As soon as it was offered, the baby began to suck away, her eyebrows furrowing in frustration when she received no reward. "You wanna know what I think? Of course you do, babies are always good listeners. I think that Rikku's gonna wake up, in time. I'm a man of faith, even now. At one point in time, I didn't like your mom, just because she was Al Bhed. She was a friend, she'd never done anything to hurt us… but I just didn't like her because of her people. And when she proved me wrong the first time, I decided to have more faith in her. She's never let me down, since."

* * *

Wakka had stayed with Brother for a few moments, as he'd adjusted to seeing his sister in her current state. Then, he'd taken the fussy baby with him into the hall, allowing him some privacy.

Brother was unsure of what to do. Paine had called him a little over a week before, explaining the situation. He'd been delivering cargo to Kilika port, luckily, and was near enough to speed Rikku and the others to Luca. She'd looked healthy enough, though she'd been in pain. He'd stayed until morning, but he'd had to return to work with the coming of dawn. For the past week, he'd been trying to come back. Yuna had left a message at the Faction dig site on Bikanel for him, explaining Rikku's situation. He hadn't believed it at first… but, Cid had finally confirmed it. His little sister was wasting away.

He'd been three and a half years old when their mother had died… when Rikku was born. He barely remembered her, but he did remember those last days. The memories were a bit shaky, now, but… his mother had looked much the same as his sister did now. Her normally bright skin had been grey, cold; her shining hair had gone dull.

Memories of his childhood, chasing Rikku about the courtyard of Home, both of them screaming at the top of their lungs, began to fill his mind. She'd always been full of life. She'd always been annoying. When they'd lived out of the Celsius, they'd bickered constantly; all he'd wanted her to do was vanish, some days. Now, though, all Brother wanted her to do was open her eyes and smack him for 'breathing her air'.

He reached for her cool hand and held it, just watching her. If he had anything to do about it, he wouldn't let her slip away from him. He wouldn't let his baby sister go, just as his mother had gone. It wasn't right, and it wasn't fair. "E muja oui, Rikku," he whispered, squeezing her hand softly. As he gazed at her sadly, he felt her fingers tighten ever so slightly around his own, and he smiled softly. He kissed her forehead gently, still holding her hand. Despite how often they fought, despite how much they seemed to hate each other, he would truly be lost without her. "Wake up soon, sister. We're all waiting for you…"

The door to the room opened quietly. Brother looked toward it, and his gaze darkened for a moment. Gippal was entering extremely quietly, the now sleeping baby resting on his shoulder. He was humming quietly, patting her on the back. When he looked up and saw Brother, he froze.

"Gippal." Brother made sure to keep his voice quiet.

Gippal stared back at him for a moment, before he bowed his head ever so slightly in regard. "Brother. When did you get here?"

"A half hour ago. I wanted to see Rikku." Brother watched Gippal with skeptical eyes. He wanted to be angry at Gippal, but he found it hard to be angry with someone who looked as if he was about to fall over in exhaustion. He had dark circles under his eyes, his hair was in absolute disarray, and eyelids looked heavy. "You look as if you haven't slept in weeks."

Gippal shrugged slightly, shifting his weight back and forth, from foot to foot. "I haven't gotten that much sleep since I got here."

"You should be taking better care of yourself." Brother stood and crossed to the doorway, where Gippal remained. "You need to take care of my sister, and my niece. You can't do that without taking care of yourself, first."

Gippal's expression was shocked, which gave Brother a strange sense of satisfaction. "I… I guess so…"

"May I hold her?" Brother asked, pointing to the baby. Gippal looked distractedly down at the little body that rested in his arms.

"She just went to sleep, but… yeah… yeah, that would be fine." Ever so gently, he passed his daughter over to her uncle, occasionally instructing him on how to place his arms and telling him how the baby felt the most comfortable. The tiny baby made a soft cooing noise as she slept, making both men smile. Brother's respect for the Machine Faction leader grew enormously as he saw the affection with which he regarded his little girl.

Once Gippal was satisfied with Brother's grip on his daughter, he went and sat next to Rikku in the armchair, watching her with a miserable defeat in his eyes. Brother watched as he rocked the tiny child. Not moments after he sat down, Gippal had fallen asleep, his head resting against the arm of the large chair. Brother found another chair across the room and silently watched over his family.

* * *

_I curled up in the window seat in Gippal's room, staring out over the stormy waters of Djose. I felt as if the waters were a reflection of my state of mind. _

_I was happy, of course. I'd be lying if I said that I didn't want this. It was unplanned, unexpected, but… I wanted it, all the same. I was young, yes, but in a world that still remembered the thousand years in which everyone had to live young, that was the least of my problems. No one would look down on us because of our ages. I wouldn't care even if people did. _

_I wanted a life with Gippal, someday. I loved him more than I'd ever imagined I could, and despite my insatiable need to travel, I wanted to settle down at some point in time. I wanted to get married, to have a family… I wanted all of those perks that went along with love. I didn't know what he wanted. I didn't lie to myself and assure myself that he would be overjoyed. He was in the prime of his career, a busy young man, an important symbol to our people and the technological world. I, too, was symbol for our people, a young woman with a promising future and a proud past. _

_And now, I was pregnant. Did he want all of the perks that went along with love, too? Or would he think of them as a burden? I wanted to tell him… but how could I just _**say**_ it?_

_He entered the room and I looked up at him with a tiny grin. He shut the door and walked over to the window seat. I automatically adjusted when he slid behind me, wrapping his arms about my waist. "How was work?" I asked, looking back at him, placing a false appearance of security upon my features. _

"_It was work." He leaned back against the wall and looked out at the water. "How was your day off?" He gave me a concerned look._

"… _it was okay." I hesitated, looking back at him. I knew I should have told him right then. I wanted to…_

"I_ need a day off… seriously, how much more can go wrong? They lost an entire shipment of the new parts from Bikanel, and now our orders will be behind for a month! I'll be buried in paperwork for the next week, and I'll have to credit angry buyers, and deal with all the ridiculous diplomatics… why can't things just be normal, for once?" And my drive went out the window. I hadn't realized that I'd opened my mouth to tell him until he gave me a patient glance. "Were you gonna say something, Cid's girl, or are you trying to catch a fly?"_

_I shook my head and looked back out at the chaotic ocean. "No… I wasn't going to say anything." My gaze remained on the unsteady waters as he hugged me tightly, blissfully unaware of my inner conflicts, and blissfully unaware that everything was about to change._

* * *

_Okay, yeah… that chapter wasn't exactly what I'd hoped it would be, but it works. Sort of a set-up for the next events. I hope it wasn't too bad. I don't know about other people, but I kinda like Brother as a character. You have to admit, he is amusing. However, I tried to show him at a different angle. No one can be annoying all the time. Only a few more chapters for this fic, I think. I have a sequel planned, if you guys want it. From your reviewing, I think I can safely hope that you will, but, you never know. Thanks for all your reviews on the last chapter, and I'm sorry I made you guys cry! It made me cry too, but I assumed that it was just because I'm a sucker for sad stuff… Anyway… Please Review! And let me know if you want a sequel! I'd actually like to know if you all actually like the baby or not… I think she's cute, but I don't know if she's coming across as a character or a plot device. She's… both, kind of, but… yeah. I tried to give her a little bit of a personality, and I can't tell if I'm doing a good job of it or not. Feedback would be appreciated!_


	11. Numb

_**Lie In The Sound  
**_**_Chapter 11: Numb_**

* * *

"Options? What do you mean, options?" Cid's voice echoed through the hallway at the early morning hour. Yuna, who was making her way from the lift toward Rikku's room, stopped for a moment. 

"We need to talk about the realities, now, sir."

"I don't know what realities you're speaking of."

Yuna looked around, silently slipping within an empty hospital room. She left the door cracked as she listened to the conversation.

"It's been nearly a week and a half since Rikku gave birth. She's healing up nicely from the internal bleeding, but that doesn't guarantee that it won't happen again. Just because we've been able to catch it these last times does _not_ mean that we will be able to stop it if it happens again. We need to start talking about the possibilities of the situation."

"What possibilities?"

"Your daughter might not wake up, sir. We are doing everything we can to try and help her, but every day she stays in the coma, the odds of her coming out of it are dropping dramatically." Yuna sucked in a breath. She knew those words were true… but hearing them and knowing the odds were two different things. _Does he actually think she'll die?_ The doctor went on, talking quietly. He sounded almost regretful as he spoke his next words. "Oftentimes, comatose patients can go into a cardiac arrest, or they stop breathing, or brain functions stop altogether. I need to know if you want us to resuscitate her if anything does happen."

"_How dare you talk that way_." Cid's voice was cold as he spoke to the doctor. Yuna clasped a hand over her mouth to keep herself from making any noise. "My daughter _will _wake up, I assure you that. She helped to defeat Sin, she's dealt with poisons and heavy bleeding much more serious than this."

"Sir, you do not know that she'll make it this time, and I can honestly say that my faith is beginning to waver. Most of the mothers that go into a post-birth coma resulting from internal bleeding or even exhaustion wake within a week. You _must_ analyze the facts, sir, and the facts are telling us that we need to make preparations now for whatever may happen later. She might wake up tomorrow and be fine, or something could go wrong and make the situation even worse. I'm not telling you what to do, sir, I'm telling you to tell _me_ what to do." The doctor sounded frustrated.

Cid sounded broken. "If... if anything happens… I want you to do everything you can to save her."

"I will, Cid… I will." The doctor's footsteps receded down the hallway. Yuna heard her Uncle start to sob in the hall. She opened the door and ran down the hall to him.

"Uncle Cid…"

The bald man slammed his hand against the wall. "I will not lose her like this." He slammed it again, and again; Yuna watched him in silence as he sobbed. "I _will not_ let her go like her mother! My baby girl is too good for that!"

Yuna barely noticed as tears began to run down her cheeks. She pulled the older man away from the wall and hugged him tightly as he sobbed onto her shoulder. She tried to comfort her uncle, but the doctor's logical voice had numbed her emotions. She wanted to continue to believe, but in the back of her mind, a voice of reason, one she'd been forced to listen to long ago in Zanarkand, was beginning to chatter once more. The only problem was… this time she wasn't willing to listen.

* * *

Brother had taken Gippal back to the house to rest. Everyone else was there, now, save Yuna and Cid. Yuna had informed her of the events of the morning… Paine had immediately felt sick. 

Rikku hadn't changed. Her condition was no worse, no better. Somehow, though, everything seemed much more bleak. Everything seemed much more wrong. Paine was not one to lose her head when trouble came knocking. She couldn't remember a time when she had gotten so emotional that she had cracked. But there was always a first time for everything.

She gripped the guardrail on the little gurney so tightly that her hands ached, that her knuckles turned white. "Why are you doing this, Rikku?" she yelled. Her little blonde friend did not answer. "Why can't you just wake up and start bouncing around and asking me insane questions? Your poor father is falling apart, seeing you like this, when he can't do a damn thing to stop it! Lulu is worrying herself crazy back at the house!" Her voice softened. "I caught her knitting last night. Who knits? She's worried, she's not herself. She's scared. Tidus and Yuna got in a big fight yesterday after dinner… I've never seen either of them so scared, Rikku, you know that Yuna doesn't scare easy. And Tidus is always happy, or at least… that's all I've ever seen from him. Wakka is too quiet, he's barely been acknowledging Vidina. Your brother is here, Rikku, isn't that scary in itself?"

Her eyes were burning. "I'm getting all emotional without you here todrive me insane, Rikku. I never thought I'd miss your annoying bubbliness, but I do! I need you to wake up."

She was silent for a moment before she pushed her hair out of her face. "Gippal looks like you, lately. He's exhausted, taking care of your daughter all by himself, watching over you as if you'll vanish if he can't see you… He's not even trying to joke around anymore, Rikku, it's almost like he's not even here." She looked at her friend for a long while. Finally, she pulled herself from the chair and left the room, walking toward the lift distractedly.

* * *

Tidus was angrily throwing stones into the water on a little stretch of beach near the docks. He was more angry than he'd ever been, even when he'd hated his father. He'd always hoped that he could avoid being on the receiving end of hate… however, that was hard to do, he'd discovered, when you hated yourself. 

He'd fought with Yuna for the first time in his memory the previous evening. He couldn't figure out what he'd said that had triggered it. It had ended when Yuna had stormed out of the house after attempting to throw a shoe at his head. He felt guilty for upsetting her, even if he couldn't pinpoint the reason for the fight. Then again, perhaps there was no reason for it… perhaps it simply couldn't be helped.

He'd heard Yuna talking to Cid on the Al Bhed dock that morning. He'd listened as the two talked about Rikku in defeated tones. He listened as he began to go over the possibilities that the doctor had pointed out. He'd watched as Brother had joined the two on the dock, paling when he heard the conversation.

And somehow, he felt as if it was all his fault. He could have prevented this had he noticed Rikku's abnormal state. He could have kept his friend from the possibility of death. He knew that he could have… but he didn't know _how_ he could have.

* * *

Lulu held Vidina close as she walked along the Market Street toward the blitzball stadium. She needed a walk, she'd decided. Vidina needed one too. The little boy had gone to sleep just moments after leaving the house, and Lulu felt jealous. She'd barely slept for the past few days. 

Responsibility, only three years ago, had been widespread. She had been a guardian, on the way to aid a summoner in saving the lives of thousands from Sin. She'd studied magic, a tool to aid her party as they traveled, an art that was passed down through the generations. Even if it would not help in the attack on Sin, it was something that needed to be taught, an art that needed to be passed on throughout the next generations. She'd been in love, once, and she'd tried to forget her loss. Her responsibility was to the people of Spira, who depended on her as a guardian. Her responsibility was constant, and much too large.

Now though, responsibility seemed much more complex. True, she was an ex-guardian, one of the only black mages in Spira who could use the most powerful of black magics. She was a mother and a wife, a friend. But that was the problem. Her responsibilities now had a center, a face. And she felt that she had shirked her responsibilities, in some shape or form.

Holding her little boy tightly, she walked absently around the market square, looking at the wares that the street vendors were showing off without really seeing them.

* * *

When Cid told me what the doctors had said, something inside me broke. I'd held on to my hope. It had kept me going, in all my exhaustion and frustration. But now, I could almost feel it streaming away, like a raging river that struggled to break free from its constraints. 

I watched her steady breathing. Her chest was moving up and down, a natural rhythm. I'd watched her sleep many times. She looked no different now. Her lungs were automatically filling themselves with air, and then pushing it out once more. The cycle continued, going on and on, without interruption or variation. And while I was thankful that breath still filled her lungs, I hated the lack of change. I'd watched her often, since that first day, seen this repetitive cycle go on. But this time… I broke.

I cried for so long, that evening, that I lost track of the minutes, of the hours. I was drained, gasping for breath. I began to do what I'd been much too afraid to consciously attempt. I talked to her.

"Rikku… I need you to just listen, even if you can't answer. I'm scared, okay? I'm scared out of my mind right now. I need you. I need you to open your eyes and make me feel better, Rikku, I'm going to lose it soon if you don't. Your dad told me some things today… things I never wanted to hear. I can't raise our baby by myself. I can't live life knowing that I couldn't do something, anything, to keep you here." I was shaking. "I had a dream, a few nights ago. You were dead, and she was a beautiful little girl. I was raising her on Bikanel; your dad was there with us, wherever we were… and I took her to the Farplane, and she was talking to you. And all she wanted was for you to talk back to her, she only wanted you, and I couldn't give you to her, Rikku. I know, it was a nightmare… but I can't let it come true! She was blaming herself for it, and she was crying, and I couldn't stand it, Rikku, it crushed my heart! All I want you to do right now is wake up, why can't you do it? It's not that hard, Rikku…" I watched her, as if I were expecting her to just open up those beautiful green orbs and grin at me. But she didn't.

I gripped her hand tightly, holding it to my cheek. For a moment, I thought that I felt her fingers brush against my cheek, but I didn't try to fool myself. I was still shaking, and still holding on to the hope that was slowly but surely breaking my heart.

"I'm going to ask you again, okay? I need you to wake up for me. I need you to be okay. I can't do this alone, I can't live without you." I stared at her for a moment, my vision blurred. "_I love you._"

I walked over to the crib and picked my daughter up, taking her to the bed. "You haven't even been able to hold your little girl, yet, Rikku, you have to wake up for her. She needs you just as much as I do. She needs her mama, okay, just like you needed yours. You _can't_ die on us, Rikku, you can't." I placed the baby in the crook of Rikku's arm. She wrapped her little fingers around one of mine, and I rubbed the back of her little hand lovingly. Her eyes were beginning to darken now, slowly turning a shade of green that was a perfect match to Rikku's bright emerald swirls.

"Come on, sweetheart… you have to help Mommy wake up…" I whispered, staring at the two girls that had stolen my heart.

A warm hand rested on my shoulder and I turned abruptly. The source was Wakka, who squeezed my shoulder lightly. "I think all of us have been asking the baby to perform miracles." I met his gaze for a moment, and he smiled reassuringly. I nodded, reluctantly.

"I know…"

I closed my eyes for a moment before reaching down to pick up the baby. Her tiny palm was wrapped around Rikku's fingers. I hated to pull her away.

Once I'd gotten her back to sleep and nestled safely in her crib, I walked with Wakka to the door. "How long have you been here?"

"Just a few minutes. Wanted to check on the two of you." Wakka nodded toward Rikku's bed. "I'm glad you talked to her."

"…so am I."

He nodded and began to walk toward the lift. "See you in the morning, Gippal."

"See ya, Wakka…" I frowned at his retreating form before going back inside.

I straightened Rikku's blankets before grabbing my own and sitting in the chair next to her bed. As I drifted off into an exhausted sleep, I held her hand tightly. I was too tired to notice that her usually limp fingers were weakly gripping my own.

* * *

_I hope you liked it… Thanks for all the feedback on the last chapter. In any case, please review!_


	12. Make It Through

_**Lie In The Sound  
**_**_Chapter 12: Make It Through_**

* * *

_I stepped off of the dock and onto the warm sands, dropping my bags. The calm of the island began to overtake me as I walked down to the water's edge. Kneeling in the surf, I breathed in deeply, basking in the scent of the ocean spray, in the warmth of the sun. The tide had begun to come in. Dusk would arrive soon, I noted. The sun had already begun its descent to the horizon. I sat on the wet sand, letting the surf lap around me. _

_It was so much warmer here. I'd gotten used to the depressed atmosphere in the Djose area, the incessantly overcast skies, the choppy, cold ocean waters. I'd missed the sunlight. I'd missed independence, too. I liked traveling, being in charge of my own life. I was happy to be back to it. Even so, though, I missed him. I missed him so much, my heart was aching. _

_I'd left during the evening. I was supposed to meet him for dinner with Nooj and Baralai at the Mushroom Rock Youth League Headquarters. I'd gotten on the hover, but when it stopped at Mushroom Rock, I didn't get off. I continued on to Luca, and I didn't turn back. I wasn't about to tell him, because I knew what he'd do. He may not have wanted what was coming just yet, but if he had it, he wouldn't let it slip away. He'd lost his family at a young age. He'd want me to stay, and he'd be just as excited about the baby as I was. He'd give up everything for us. And that was exactly what I couldn't let him do._

_I never wanted to hurt him, or myself. But I didn't want him to lose everything he'd worked for, either. I didn't want him to give it all away. I didn't want him to have to choose. And so I'd made the decision for him. I'd slipped away quietly, in the night, leaving only a small note to tell him that I'd gone to Besaid, and I didn't know when I would be back. _

_I sighed as the water rushed in, the warm liquid caressing my skin. With a groan, I pushed myself off the ground and walked up to my bags, slinging my old travel bag over my shoulder, holding my little suitcase tightly. I made my way toward the gap in the hills that led to the village path, watching with unshed tears as a lone dolphin jumped, far out in the cove. _

* * *

_I stood beyond the gate, watching as the people of Besaid, my friends and family included, danced around the fire in the center of the tiny village. It amazed me that with all of the advances we'd made, with all the expansions other cities had begun to start on, that Besaid remained the same. It would always be the same little village with the same little huts, the same temple watching over it. _At least some things never change_, I thought to myself. Gripping the handle of my suitcase tightly, I walked inside the gates and toward the bonfire. _

_Yuna spotted me first, as I meandered cautiously toward her. "Rikku?" she asked, grinning widely. "Rikku! When did you get here? Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" She ran to me and gave me a wild hug, spinning the both of us in a circle. _

_I smiled at her and hugged tightly back. "Just now, and… it was a spur of the moment thing."_

_She looked behind me toward the gates. "Where's Gippal?" she asked, smiling widely. _

_I looked into the flames for a moment before responding slowly. "In Djose."_

_She looked confused, worried. "Did something happen between you two?" She waved to Lulu, who smiled and stood, walking to meet us. I sighed and looked to the side, avoiding the question. _

"_You could say that, but… we didn't fight, or anything. I just…" I shook my head as Yuna led me inside Lulu and Wakka's hut. I dropped my suitcase and travel bag near the door and fell back on the couch, curling up around a pillow. _

"_Are you okay?" She asked with concern, sitting across from me on the coffee table. _

_I suddenly felt the prickle of tears behind my eyes, and looked at my lap. "I… I don't know." Lulu entered the tent as I began to cry, her large smile of welcome replaced with concern. Yuna leaned forward to hug me, and Lulu sat next to us, squeezing my hand softly._

"_What's wrong? Here I am, coming in to say a happy hello, and you're in tears!" _

_I gazed into the woman's deep red eyes, before I shook my head and wiped at my cheeks. "I'm… I'm okay, I'll be fine."_

"_Rikku…" Yuna and Lulu each had one of my hands. I avoided their gazes for a long while, but finally, I looked up in defeat. "What happened?"_

"_I left."_

"_What?"_

"_Why?" _

"_What did he do?" I would have smiled as they fired questions at me, but I was too melancholy for smiling._

"_He didn't do anything. I just… I needed to leave." I sighed heavily and pulled my hands away, rubbing at my temples._

"_Then why are you crying?" Yuna asked, looking skeptical. _

"_Because I didn't want to go. But he said some things, that made me realize that I needed to." I shook my head and took a deep breath, closing my eyes. _

_Yuna sat back on the table, frustrated. "I don't understand!"_

"_I… I'm pregnant, okay? I'm pregnant. And I had to leave." I started to cry again. Yuna gasped, shocked, and leaned forward to give me another hug. I looked up at Lulu as she did so, and I found understanding in her eyes as she clasped my hand tightly._

* * *

_My father and my brother arrived two days later. I'd called everyone together. So far, only Yuna and Lulu knew about the baby. I wanted to tell everyone at once. And I wanted to make sure that none of them would try to take matters into their own hands. _

_We sat around the bonfire early that evening, before the rest of the village joined in. And I quietly told them the news. "I'm gonna have a baby!" I was happy, excited, to finally be able to tell people. _

_Tidus broke out in smiles and gave me a huge bear hug, whooping. Wakka hugged me, too. Yuna and Lulu only smiled happily. My brother looked shocked. Paine, who had come with Brother on the Celsius, looked confused. My father, for a moment, looked furious._

"_You're _**WHAT**_!" All of us cowered. I stared up at Cid. I knew he would be upset, but I hoped that he wasn't **too** angry. _

"… _gonna… have… a baby?" I repeated, nervously laughing between words. I watched him as his face turned red. _

"_Rikku, you're seventeen! This is… this is ridiculous!" He began to chatter in Al Bhed, nonsense phrases. I sighed uncomfortably and glanced over at Yuna, who gave me a sympathetic smile. _

"_Pops… I thought you'd at least pretend to be happy." I grinned mischievously. "After all, you're going to be a grandpa, now." That shut him up. A funny little grin appeared on his lips, and I turned to the others triumphantly, smiling._

"_I just saw Gippal two days ago, and he was asking if we'd spoken to you. He didn't mention anything about a baby, and he would have been too excited to keep it quiet if he knew." Paine looked to Brother, who nodded in confirmation._

"_He looked worried, not happy," he said, in his heavy accent._

_My smile faded. "That's because I didn't tell him."_

_Brother and Paine shared the same expression. I would have laughed in a normal situation, but I didn't. I only frowned. "Why?"_

"_Because I don't want him to know."_

_Cid was concerned. "It is his baby, isn't it?"_

"_Of course it is! Who else would it be?" I shook my head in disbelief, before I sat down on the couch. _

_Brother began to shake his head in disbelief. "Fundrmacc Gippal… E lyh'd pameaja dryd oui cmabd fedr _res_, uv ymm baubma, Rikku." His shock was gone now. I just ignored him, knowing he would cool off sooner or later._

_I looked to everyone in the room. "I need you all to listen to me. I wanted all of you to know, but… Gippal… I just can't tell him. I know what would happen if he knew, and I don't want him to do what he would do, so I'm not going to tell him until I think the time is right. And I don't want any of you to say a word."_

_The room was silent. I waited for a few minutes before I ran a hand through my braids. "Please… promise me that none of you will say anything?" _

_And they promised. Later that evening, as we celebrated around the bonfire, I found myself wishing that they hadn't. _

* * *

_Tidus and Yuna were splashing around in the water, laughing insanely as they chased each other around the cove. I laughed and pointed at them. Little Vidina clapped his hands and pointed at them too, swaying slightly in my arms. Paine had her old sphere-camera out, and was following Yuna and Tidus as they gallivanted around the cove, chuckling to herself. _

_With some effort, balancing toddler and belly, I sat in the surf. Vidina sat on my lap, giggling as the waves surrounded us. I rested my chin on his little shoulder and grinned at him, making him laugh again. He grabbed my hat and pulled it off. My long hair tumbled out from beneath it, and I shook out the tangles, laughing as he tossed the little yellow hat into the water. Then, I grabbed the little boy and began to tickle him thoroughly. I didn't notice when Paine swept the camera onto the two of us. After a while, Yuna abandoned Tidus and the two of us walked into thigh deep water._

_Vidina sat on my hip happily, and pointed into the water as little tropical fish swam by. "Fshhhhhh…" _

_Yuna laughed heartily. I grinned and pointed out some seals that were playing in the water. Vidina had a happy nature, and each time he saw something new, he squealed happily. Yuna relieved me for a little while, wading into deeper water with the little one, showing him how to splash in the surf. _

_I grinned as I watched them and shaded my eyes, blocking the glare of the sun. My other hand rested on my abdomen. I was now reaching the six month mark, and I looked it. Though still lean and fit as I'd always been, anyone with eyes could see that I was expecting. The baby was kicking, and I grinned as I pushed and prodded. "Yuna! C'mere!"_

_She came back, with a very wet Vidina, and I pulled her free hand toward my stomach. She felt and laughed. "Active today, isn't it?" I nodded and looked to Vidina, who was watching us curiously._

"_Wanna feel the baby?" I asked, not expecting an answer. He couldn't talk yet, but he did respond to our questions and such. He held out a little hand, and I placed it over the spot where the baby was kicking away. _

"_Ooooooohhh…" was all the little one said, before splashing at me. Yuna and I laughed, and I splashed back. The two of us had a mini water fight. At that moment, I was happier than I'd been in a long time. _

_Finally, when we returned to shore, I was soaking. My hat had washed up at the water line. Tidus picked it up and plopped it back on my head. Paine focused the camera on me and I made a face at her as water and sand fell off the edges of the hat. Today had been a good one, I decided. I was making it through, after all._

* * *

My whole body felt sore, and heavy, so heavy. Even thinking hurt, for a while. Slowly, I began to remember bits and pieces of conversations, and I began to remember exactly why my body felt the way it did. After three long days of labor, I should have felt as if I'd been beaten. But somehow, I hadn't ever imagined that it would feel this bad.

I opened my eyes, squinting in the dim light. I didn't even try to move the rest of my body, at first. I just looked around the room. Most of it was draped in shadow. The only other light source, other than the dim lights of my monitors, was the small rectangle that was seeping in beneath the door.

I was extremely groggy, but I moved my head to the side, looking toward the chair that had been by my bed throughout the labor, specifically searching for the person who had last been in it.

Gippal sat next to me, curled in the large chair. I smiled softly at the sight. Then I noticed how different his appearance was. His skin was pale. His hair was messy. There were dark circles under his eyes… he seemed almost sickly. I faintly remembered him talking to me, begging me to wake up. I didn't know how long I'd been out for, but it had to be awhile, for him to look so… beaten.

His hand rested near mine. I reached for it, holding it for a moment. Then I squeezed it. "Gippal?" My voice was soft, dry. He didn't stir. I shook his arm softly, hoping it would wake him up. If it didn't, I would understand. He looked exhausted. "Gippal…"

He groaned quietly. He brought his free hand to his face as he yawned, rubbing at his eyes. He sighed heavily as he opened his eyes. I squeezed his hand softly. "Hey you…"

For a moment, he didn't seem to register what was going on. Finally, his eyes widened and he whispered, as if in disbelief. "Rikku?"

* * *

_Okay, so… all of you that have been praying for her to wake up… she woke up! Don't worry, it's not done yet! I'd like to take a moment to thank Jen, who has agreed to BETA/edit this fic and the sequel for me! I'm sooooo happy! So, yeah… much thanks! Much thanks to everyone who reviewed, too!_

_Please Review!_


	13. Believe

_**Lie In The Sound  
**_**_Chapter 13: Believe_**

* * *

_I'm dreaming… I have to be…_

But everything felt real. Her fingers were warm, not nearly as clammy as they'd been for the past week. I shook my head slowly, trying to wake myself up. When I opened my eyes once more, she was still there, smiling at me in exhaustion.

"Gippal…" she whispered, squeezing my fingers softly. "It's okay."

I stared into her eyes, searching. They'd always been bright, but in this light, the emerald shade appeared to be deeper. She looked tired, as if she'd been awake for days, rather than in a coma. I finally tightened my hand around her own, searching for comfort in her grip. "You're really awake…"

She tilted her head slowly and grinned at me, blinking her eyes tiredly. "I know." For a moment, the two of us were quiet, gazing at each other. Finally, she stroked her thumb over the palm of my hand. "You were crying…"

I nodded, with a small smile. "Yeah… I was…" And I began to cry again. I brought her fingers to my lips and kissed them as the tears streamed down my face. Her eyes were concerned as I moved out of my chair and sat next to her on the little hospital bed.

I watched as she brought her other arm up, slowly reaching to touch my cheek, her hand covered with the little needles and tubes that had been feeding medication into her bloodstream. Even that simple reminder of the last week, the pain I'd been feeling, the fear, made me break down in relief. She was awake, and everything would be okay. She trailed her thumb over my cheek, wiping away the tears. "It's okay, Gippal…" she whispered, holding my hand tightly.

"I'm sorry," I said, shaking a little from the tears.

"No, don't. It's okay to cry." She ran her fingers through my hair, and I leaned forward, resting my forehead against hers. Her emerald eyes smiled at me, as she finger combed my hair comfortingly.

I nodded and took a moment before helping her to sit up, hugging her tightly. She hugged back, though her movements were weak and limited. Rikku leaned on me, and I rested my head on her shoulder, crying softly. She continued to comfort me, until my tears finally began to slow.

"How long have I been out?" she whispered, wincing as she slowly pulled away from our embrace. Slowly, gently, I propped her up on the pillows. She reached for my hand when she was comfortable, and I took it.

"A week and a half, now." My own voice was shaky, soft and broken. I wiped at my eyes as her own widened in disbelief.

"That long?" I nodded. She closed her eyes and raised an eyebrow, coughing softly. "I thought it was only a day or two…"

I shook my head and reached for her, brushing my fingers over her cheek. "I was really scared that you weren't going to wake up, Rikku… we all were."

She looked at me with her tired eyes. "I heard you, asking me to wake up. I didn't really know what was going on, but… I remember hearing stuff. Brother is here, isn't he?" I nodded again. She smiled a bit. "I thought so…"

She breathed deeply for a few minutes, her eyes closed. She continually squeezed my hand, and I happily squeezed back, in a daze.

"Gippal?"

"Yeah?"

"Where's the baby?" Rikku looked up at me, her eyes questioning.

I grinned widely. "Want to hold her?" Rikku's eyes brightened, and she smiled, a tired little smile, but the most beautiful smile I'd ever seen.

"It's a girl?" she asked, looking around the dark room.

I nodded and stood up, reluctantly letting go of her hand. "A perfect, beautiful girl, I might add." I walked over to the corner where the baby's crib was placed, and I looked in. The baby was awake, and she cooed softly as I reached down to pick her up. I smiled. "Hey there, angel… someone special wants to hold you." I picked up the little pink blanket and wrapped it around her before returning to Rikku's side.

Rikku was staring at her with tears in her eyes. As I sat, she opened her arms. "Gippal… she's…" Rikku looked almost as if she was in shock. I smiled down at the baby as I passed her over.

"Watch her head… there ya go." Rikku began to cry, as she looked down at the little bundle in her arms. "Finally, Mama…" I smiled at Rikku and smoothed my little girl's hair, happier than I'd been in a long while.

The baby blinked her big eyes at her mother, and Rikku reached down, smiling as her little fingers wrapped around one of her own. "She's so tiny." I watched, smiling to myself as Rikku bounced the baby softly. "Hi, baby… I'm your Mama… I'm sorry it took me so long to wake up, sweetie… oh, you're perfect." Rikku looked up at me with a smile. I smiled back.

I was quiet as Rikku counted all ten little fingers and all ten little toes, as she laughed at the big baby yawn, as she fingered the white blonde fuzz that covered our daughter's head. I knew what she was feeling… I'd done the same thing, that first day. Her eyes were a little sad when she next looked up at me. "What did you decide to name her?" she asked, transfixed with the little one.

I ran my fingers through her hair and looked into her eyes. "I didn't."

She was confused for a moment. "What do you mean?"

"I wanted to wait for you. She's got a lot of nicknames, but I didn't actually name her, yet. I… I didn't know what names you'd been thinking about, and Yuna said she didn't know either." Rikku's eyes softened as she stared at me, before she glanced back down at the baby.

Her voice was quiet. "Thank you…" I nodded and waited patiently. "I… I wasn't really sure, for a girl. I liked a few, but looking at her… none of them really fit."

We were both quiet as we watched our child yawn and slowly but surely drift off into a deep baby sleep. Finally, I made a suggestion, unsure of how she would react. "How about Telan?"

Rikku blinked for a few moments. "That was my mom's name…" she said, her voice hushed.

"I know… it's pretty. But, if you don't like it, we won't use it."

She shook her head. "No… no, I like it." She was quiet for a moment, before she nodded softly. "Yeah… I like it."

"Are you sure?" I smiled at her comfortingly as she nodded with a tiny smile. "Telan it is, then."

She smiled up at me brightly, as I ran my fingers through her hair. Even though she was still pale, her hair dull, her whole manner weak and subdued… I thought she'd never looked more beautiful. I leaned toward her, tentatively brushing a few loose strands of hair out of her face. She gave me a small half grin, before I leaned in and hesitantly kissed her, slow and gentle. She kissed back softly, and in that moment, as I sat there with the woman I'd always loved and our child, everything was perfect once more.

* * *

Tidus groaned as he heard the CommSphere go off down the hall. With a sigh, he pushed himself out of bed and hurriedly walked into the kitchen, hoping that the ruckus hadn't woken any of the others. In the back of his mind, he had a sick feeling. _Something's wrong…_

As he pressed the answer button, he held his breath. Gippal's tired face looked back at him. His stomach flip-flopped. "Gippal…"

Gippal grinned, running a hand through his hair. With a little laugh he shook his head. "She's awake."

Tidus' stomach settled. "What do you mean?"

"She woke up, a little while ago." Gippal was grinning widely, more happy than Tidus had ever seen him. "I would have called sooner, but she wanted to hold Telan, and I got a little emotional…"

"Who's Telan?" Tidus was confused for a moment, before he grinned. Gippal rolled his eyes. "Oh, the baby… Thank heavens she woke up, you would have never given that little girl a name…" Tidus laughed, a wave of relief breaking over him.

"Could you let everyone know? They're both sleeping now, but… if you all want to come down, I can wake her up. The doctor said it would be okay if she had visitors. They're taking her to be checked out in the morning…"

Tidus nodded. "Yeah, I'll wake everyone. I don't know if everyone wants to come down right now, but I'll be there, and I'm sure Cid and Brother will want to come… Yuna, too." Gippal nodded and thanked him, breaking the connection. Once the CommSphere went empty, Tidus sighed with relief and leaned heavily against the counter. He stayed that way for a long moment before he rushed off to wake the others.

* * *

Yuna heard a commotion as the door to her room opened and closed softly. She pulled her blankets over her head, trying to shut out the noise.

Someone nudged her arm softly. She ignored them. "Yuna… wake up."

With a frustrated sigh, Yuna opened a bright green eye and stared at Tidus. "What do you want?"

Tidus smiled. Yuna was slightly angered at that. How could he smile when everything was so wrong? But then he spoke, quiet but excited. "Rikku's awake."

Yuna blinked a few times before pulling the blankets away from her face. "What?"

"Rikku's awake. Gippal just called ten minutes ago. I had to go and wake Cid and Brother… I probably should have waited to tell Brother until I'd told everyone else… he's jumping around and yelling downstairs, he'll wake everyone up anyway…" He was smiling. Both were awkwardly silent for a moment. Then, Yuna grinned and gave him a wild hug.

"Are we going to go? Now? Oh, thank the Fayth…" Tidus laughed at her reaction and hugged her back.

"Yeah, we can go now… want to go and wake Paine? I'm a little too afraid of that sword of hers…"

Yuna jumped out of bed and left the room in a hurry. Tidus shook his head and set off own the hall towards Lulu and Wakka's room.

* * *

I smiled as the small group entered the hall. Yuna was struggling to stay quiet in her excitement, and she gave me a small hug. Then, she slipped inside the room and closed the door behind her. Tidus grinned and clapped me on the back before taking a seat near the door. Cid gave me a tight hug, and I tentatively hugged the older man back. When he pulled away, he had happy tears in his eyes. He nodded to me before slipping into the room after Yuna. Brother and I stood awkwardly in the center of the hallway. Finally, he held out a hand, and I shook it warmly. It seemed that we'd reached an understanding. He took a seat next to Tidus, and I sat across from them, smiling tiredly.

"They still sleeping?" Tidus asked, looking toward the door.

I shrugged. "Yuna's probably woken her up by now."

Tidus nodded, and we remained silent for a few minutes. Tidus began to fish around in his pocket. He pulled out three cigars, and I laughed. "I found yours, and I took it for safe-keeping. Wakka's is back at the house… Cid has one, too, I think." He handed a little wrapped package to Brother. "For you."

Brother grinned and shook his head. "Thank you." Tidus nodded and stood, pointing at the clock.

"It's almost dawn… let's go for a little walk."

I poked my head into the room and let Yuna and Cid know that we were leaving. Rikku was still fast asleep, curled up with the baby in her arms. I smiled at the sight, before closing the door behind me. We left the hospital and walked down the streets in silence.

Just as the rays of the sun began to poke up over the horizon, I looked out over the ocean, grinning as the waves rolled up onto the sandy stretch of beach. Brother pulled a lighter out of his pocket and the three of us lit our cigars in an almost ceremonious fashion. We watched the sun rise in silence, each of us rejoicing that this day had dawned a happy one, without tragedy in sight.

* * *

The doctor smiled at me as I rubbed at my eyes, yawning. Yuna and my father had been in the room when I woke. Gippal had gone off with Tidus and Brother just before sunrise, and would be back anytime. Yuna had taken Telan for a walk down the hall while the doctor looked me over. My father had stayed. Now, he looked towards the doctor impatiently. "Well?" he demanded.

The doctor grinned toward him. "Well, Cid… I think everything will be fine from here on out. I want to keep her and the baby for a few more days, just to monitor Rikku's improvement, but she's healed up nicely and… she beat the odds." He grinned at me and patted me on the shoulder. "I was starting to wonder if you were ever going to wake up, Miss Rikku. You had everyone on pins and needles."

I grinned guiltily. I groaned as I pushed myself up to a sitting position. "Uh… could I walk around a little bit? I'm really sore… I feel like I need to stretch."

The doctor smiled. "Don't push it." Then he nodded and left the room, leaving Cid and I to stare at each other.

We were quiet for a long while, before I yawned and leaned back on my pillows. I pulled my blankets up higher and looked at Cid with a sigh. "What exactly was wrong with me?"

He sighed and reached for my hand, silent for a few minutes. But then, he began to talk, quietly, more gently than I'd heard him speak in a long time. "I can't really answer completely, but I know the gist of it. You had the baby, and the stress of the labor and all the other factors caused a tear-" he motioned and flushed, and I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling "- well, you know where the tear was, I suppose, and you started bleeding internally. From what the doctors have been saying, your body went into shock, which sent you into a coma…"

He shook his head and held her hand tightly. "Rikku, I have never been so scared in my life. I thought I was going to lose you the same way I lost your mother… I couldn't stand to see you like that, still and lifeless. It was almost like watching her waste away, again, Rikku…" A few tears trailed down his cheeks, and I squeezed his hand as he buried his face in my blankets.

"Daddy…" He stared up at me, shocked at first. When he smiled, I smiled back. "I'm okay now… you don't have to worry about me."

"I'll always worry about you, Rikku. You're my baby girl…" I looked toward the open window and out into the bright waters of the bay.

"What do you think of your granddaughter?" I asked with a small smile, looking back toward my father. He grinned and shook his head, sitting back.

"She's beautiful. Got a happy nature, too, barely ever cries. She's on the small side, but she'll catch up, sooner or later." He sighed and sat back in the chair, following my gaze. "Have you thought about a name yet?"

"We decided on one this morning, actually. Gippal suggested the name, and I thought it fit quite nicely." He looked at me curiously as I gazed in his direction. "Her name is Telan."

Cid glanced at the opposite wall, quiet before clearing his throat. "Gippal suggested that, did he?"

I nodded. "He's more observant than he looks, to remember a name that I've only ever mentioned once or twice to him." I shook my head and reached for my water glass on the bedside table, taking a slow sip. "He said it was pretty."

My father nodded and stood. "It _is_ a pretty name. A good name." He kissed me on the forehead and walked toward the door with a small grin on his face.

"Daddy?"

"Yes, angel?"

I sighed and shrugged. "E muja oui…"

He nodded and opened the door. "E muja oui, duu, Rikku."

* * *

Gippal smiled at me as he watched me poke at my breakfast. "This stuff is absolutely disgusting, Gippal, how have you been living off this for a week and a half?"

He shook his head and looked out the window. "I only ate a few meals here, and to tell the truth, I don't even remember them. I only really ate when Lulu forced me to come to the house. I wasn't hungry a lot of the time…" I gave him a small shrug and guiltily went back to eating my hospital food.

The door to my room opened and the two of us looked up. Yuna peeked in, and smiled widely. Gippal caught my gaze and stood, walking over to the crib to pick up Telan. "I'm gonna take her for a little walk, okay?" I nodded and smiled gratefully as he exited the room.

Yuna sat next to me on the bed and gave me a hug. "I knew you'd pull through. I was just scared, you know? All of us were."

I nodded and set my fork down. Sitting back with a groan, I looked at Yuna with a sigh. "I'm sorry."

She smiled and leaned back with me. "It's alright… you're okay now, that's all that matters."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breathe. "Yunie… thanks… for telling him. For bringing him here."

I felt Yuna shift next to me. "He changed, Rikku. The minute he saw that little girl, he changed."

I smiled and leaned my head onto her shoulder. Her words concerned me, a little. "What do you mean?"

Yuna shook her head, and I winced. "Sorry!" I chuckled as she stilled. "I mean… he grew up. He brought me to see her, that first day, and he let me feed her… he was so excited, Rikku."

I was quiet as I thought. "That's why I didn't want to tell him about her." I sighed heavily and opened my eyes, looking at my cousin's expression. She nodded in understanding and the two of us sat there in companionable silence.

Finally, when she sat up, I tugged on her shirt. "Yunie, could you sneak some food in for me? This hospital food is horrible!"

She looked at me and began to giggle helplessly. "You're back, Rikku… you're back…"

"And I'm serious, this hospital food is really, _really_ bad."

* * *

Tears were streaming down Lulu's face as I held her hand tightly, crying a little myself. "Don't ever think that this was your fault, Lu! You were doing a great job, and you got me here as soon as possible when you realized something was wrong."

"I thought you were going to die, Rikku… I couldn't lose someone else." She shook her head, her long black hair falling over her shoulder. "I've lost so many people that I care about. I couldn't stand to lose you, too. I kept thinking I'd done something wrong, I hadn't gotten you proper care soon enough…"

"Stop, Lulu." I reached across the railing and hugged my friend tightly. "You did everything you could do, and you didn't lose it. I'm awake now, I didn't die…"

"But I feel so guilty. This was all my fault! I should have been keeping you healthy, I should have known that this would happen!"

I laughed at her quietly, trying to soothe the older woman that I had come to think of as a big sister. It frightened me to see her, the strongest of us all, in tears. "Now, Lulu, that doesn't make any sense. You may be an amazing mage, but you can't tell the future any more than a dandelion can stop the wind blowing! There is no way that you could have known this would happen."

"You were losing your appetite, you were much more emotional than usual… your body was giving all the warning signs of labor, and I didn't pay attention because it was too early for you to be having them." The woman was frustrated, and I knew what happened when Lulu got frustrated.

"It's only human not to see things when they're right in front of your face, Lu." I tugged lightly on one of her braids, grinning reassuringly. "I'm okay. I'm fine. Telan is fine. Don't blame yourself for anything, because we are okay, and there is no reason for you to feel like you were responsible."

She looked out the window for a few seconds before she nodded and wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "…okay."

I shook my head and leaned back on my pillows.

Lulu took a moment to get control of her emotions before she patted my hand awkwardly. "Wakka wants to see you… I'll go and get him." I nodded and closed my eyes as she left the room, taking advantage of the break between visitors. The flow of doctors and nurses, friends and family had been nonstop all morning.

The door opened and I smiled, opening my eyes. Wakka stood near the door, and he grinned at me as he closed it behind him. "You feelin' okay, Rikku?"

"Actually… no. But it's better to be able to feel horrible than not to feel anything, isn't it?" He nodded and took the seat next to me.

"Lu said it felt like she'd been attacked by those crazy birds out in Sanubia a week or so after she had Vidina." Wakka smiled and looked out towards the blitzball stadium.

"I feel kind of like Sin just crushed me…" He winced in sympathy. "Are the Aurochs winning the tournament?"

He grinned and looked back at me, crossing his arms. "Third place, right now. Didn't think you'd remember the tournament."

I nodded and shrugged, looking out at the stadium myself. "I'd like to go and watch the final game, but I doubt any of you will let me."

He shook his head. "No way. You had us all too scared. You're going back to the Faction house when they let you out, and you are resting." He laughed. "That's what Lulu, Cid, and Yuna said, anyway. I was thinking you'd rather be heading off to Djose or Besaid or wherever you're going." I sighed and brought a hand to my forehead, rubbing softly.

"Yeah, well… once I know where I'm going, I'll make sure that Telan and I get there…"

Wakka watched me for a moment, but then he nodded and didn't push me. I'd always liked that about Wakka… he didn't push into things. Not that much, anyways. He was quiet as I yawned. Then he patted my hand softly.

"I knew you'd wake up sooner or later. I was hoping it would be sooner rather than later, though." He smiled and I grinned back.

A tired cry rang out through the room, and I looked over at Telan's crib with a grin. "Could you, uh… get her for me?" He nodded, and I watched as he tenderly picked up my daughter and patted her back, calming her quickly.

"She likes the Hymn. I told Gippal sometime last week, and… I caught him singing to her the other day." I laughed and took my little bundle of joy from Wakka, bouncing her softly. She blinked at me with her big blue-green swirls and whined. I shook my head and kissed her on the cheek, holding her steadily.

"I'll have to remember that…"

The door opened and Lulu peeked in, Vidina in her arms. "Whhheeoooohhh…" I laughed at the little boy as Lulu entered the room.

"Hey little man… I bet you've been keeping everyone busy, haven't you? Sorry I left you without a partner in crime for so long, buddy…" Lulu and Wakka chuckled as Vidina reached for me. Very carefully, Lulu set him on my lap, and I turned Telan to face him.

He pointed and touched her hand, and she looked at him with a funny expression on her face, her eyes wide. Vidina looked at me and smiled his happy toddler smile. "Bay….bayybee…"

Lulu's eyes widened in shock for a moment as Wakka and I laughed. I took his little hand and squeezed it playfully. "That's right, Vidina, baby. She's cute, hm?"

"Oooooohhh…" he responded, staring at Telan again. I grinned at Wakka and Lulu happily, and they laughed as their son chattered away to little Telan.

* * *

Later that afternoon, I returned to the hospital after a long day of shopping with Yuna for all the things we'd need at the Faction house. The doctors had suggested that once Rikku was released, she stayed in town for a few days, just in case of an emergency. We'd purchased the simple necessities; a small white bassinet, blankets, bottles, some extra clothes. Once we'd finished with our purchases, I'd gone back to the house and set up a cot in my little bedroom. I was going to let Rikku have the bed when she was released. Cid and I put the bassinet up and moved a little rocker from the living room into the bedroom. Yuna had sent me off to the hospital as she put the finishing touches on the set up.

I entered the room quietly, bottle in hand, smiling at the sight of a sleeping Rikku and a wide awake Telan. After taking a few quiet strides, I picked the baby up and curled up with her in the armchair. The mid-afternoon sun was streaming down through the window pane, creating a pattern on the floor. Telan began to suck on the bottle, and I closed my eyes, leaning my head against the back of the chair. I sighed in relief as I felt her tiny fingers close around my thumb, as her little feet kicked against my leg.

I listened as Rikku stirred in her sleep, thankful for every rustle of the sheets, for every deep sigh or cough. Today had been both wonderful and emotional for me, but exhausting all the same. With a heavy sigh of my own, I reached behind my head for the blanket I'd come to know and love over the past week and wrapped it snugly around me and my daughter. I let her finish her lunch, and then burped her, talking quietly to her so as not to disturb Rikku's rest. Once she'd nodded off, I curled up with her in the chair, sleeping along with them. All of us needed it, in my opinion.

* * *

I blinked lazily in the afternoon glow, my eyes on my beautiful baby girl and her father as they slept. Her pretty little lips opened as she yawned one of her incredibly big, incredibly cute baby yawns. I reached over and ran my finger lightly over the back of her tiny hand. She truly was perfect, more so than I could have ever imagined.

Once again, the door quietly opened, light streaming from the hall and into the room. To tell the truth, I was getting a little tired of all the people coming in and out. I gazed over at the entrance, and grinned at my brother as he walked in, quieter than I'd ever seen him.

He carefully pulled a chair over to the other side of my bed, and I rolled over to face him, admittedly with much effort. He smiled at me warmly. "I've wanted to talk to you all day, I just… didn't have the chance."

I nodded, giving him a half grin. "There's been a lot of people in and out."

He nodded. "I wanted to give them all time, you know. You responded to me while you were sleeping, not to them. They needed more comfort than I did."

I grinned and reached for Brother's hand, gripping it softly. "I remember you talking to me," I told him, quietly. I didn't want to wake the other two.

He nodded, and reached out to touch my hair. "I was hoping you'd know I was here… you were scaring me, Rikku. Reminded me of Mama."

I looked downward, feeling guilty. "I'm sorry, Brother… I… it was my fault."

"Don't say that, Rikku. It wasn't something that could be helped, just like you getting sick wasn't something that could be helped. Don't blame yourself, alright? I don't."

I nodded and closed my eyes. "Thanks, Brother…" I took a few deep breathes before I looked into his eyes, eyes that were the same deep emerald as my own. "We gave her Mama's name."

He glanced at the baby with a grin. "Telan?" He considered it for a moment before nodding his approval. "It suits her."

I regarded him for a moment, quiet. He looked down at me in concern. "What? Is something wrong?"

"Are… are you still disappointed in me? For… how did you put it… 'sleeping with worthless Gippal, of all people'?" He groaned and shook his head, burying his face in his hands.

"I was never really disappointed in you, sister, just surprised." He looked over at the chair. "Besides… he's very good with her. He loves her very much, and… he barely left you, while you were asleep. He cares about you very much, Rikku, and that is all he needs to win my approval. Gippal is a good man."

I nodded hesitantly. "Brother… I don't know what to do." I closed my eyes and took another deep breath, waiting for his response.

"You'll know what to do when the time is right. Just rest, now." He kissed my forehead and ruffled my hair, giving my hand a final squeeze before he walked over to Gippal.

I grinned as he shook him awake, gently, taking care not to wake Telan. Gippal blinked at him groggily, looking slightly irritated at having been woken.

"Lulu said to bring you with me to dinner. Rikku and the baby need some alone time, and you need to eat and rest. She won't take no for an answer." I grinned along with Brother as Gippal nodded and slowly moved out of the chair.

I stretched my arms out for Telan, and Gippal handed her over tenderly. I rested her little blonde head on my shoulder and looked up at him. "Go, get some rest. Eat some food. Make Yuna bring me some of it later, I refuse whatever they made for the dinner special."

He grinned at me and hesitantly kissed my cheek. "I'll come back tonight, okay?" he asked, his voice raspy and tired.

I shook my head. "No, Gippal, take a night off. Sleep. I'll be okay with her for one night on my own." He looked to Brother for reassurance, and Brother only nodded, clapping a hand on his shoulder.

He relented and kissed Telan's forehead softly. "I'll be back in the morning, then." I nodded and the two men shuffled out of the room, chatting quietly in Al Bhed.

I sighed and tucked my blanket around the baby, staring at her in wonder, glad that I finally had time to spend alone with my daughter.

* * *

Brother and I sat down at the dinner table to plates that were heaped full of food. The others were already digging in, and Vidina was back to his food throwing. We were quiet for a time… but when flying mashed potatoes hit Cid in the head, all of us were silent.

The gruff man started laughing and flung the potatoes back at the toddler, who squealed in delight. All of us began to chatter loudly and pass the dishes around, smiling and eating together for the first time in days. Paine complained about not being able to see Rikku, and about all of the little pink stuffed animals that Yuna had purchased for Telan's crib. I threw a handful of mashed potatoes at her head, and for once, Paine broke into hearty laughter, clutching at her side as the potatoes sat in her hair.

All around the table, we took a collective sigh of relief. It felt good to finally relax.

* * *

_Long chapter! Happy chapter! Anyway, thank you all so much for the reviews, I was so happy to get them. If you have any criticism, feel free to let it out! There's only going to be two to three more chapters of this fic, so I'll have the next one out as soon as possible, and once I'm done… I know what I'm doing for the sequel, so never fear! Thanks to **FairyIce** for Beta/editing! You're amazing! _

_Please Review!_


	14. Beauty In The Breakdown

_**Lie In The Sound  
**_**_Chapter 14: Beauty In The Breakdown_**

* * *

After my doctor had come in to give me my last consultation about what I was and was not allowed to do once I left the hospital, I was completely ready to leave. Paine folded a few items and stuffed them into my old travel bag, listening as I complained about the bruises that covered my arms and hands. "Couldn't they have… I dunno, hooked them all into one? Or three? Instead of ten?"

"No, otherwise I'm sure they would've done it." She rolled her eyes at me as I sighed, swinging my legs over the side of my bed. Then, she tossed me a bundle of clothing and pointed at the bathroom. "Go get dressed."

I groaned as I pushed myself off of the bed. My back was sore, my legs were sore, my butt was sore… everything was sore. "I hope you all didn't bring me huge clothes. I may not be back to my normal weight, but I'm definitely not pregnant anymore."

"Just put them on."

I shook my head and walked carefully into the bathroom, closing the door behind me. Hesitantly, I unfolded the little bundle. I smiled as I pulled on a pair of warm looking pants and a normal white t-shirt. _Not bad_… I thought, as I looked at myself in the mirror. Being in a coma had already caused me to lose a lot of weight. I was sure that I'd be back to… well, close to normal, at least… without many problems. I put my hair up to keep it out of my way and sighed at the sight of the bruises on my arms once more.

When I emerged from the bathroom, I met a shocking visual: Paine was rocking Telan, singing to her to keep her quiet. She blushed when I met her eyes. "She… I spent a lot of time with her while you were asleep. She was getting cranky, so…"

I smiled and sat back down on the bed, reaching for my shoes. "I don't mind. It was just strange, is all. I know you like Vidina, but you can actually play with him. She's tiny, you know… you stayed away from him until he learned how to crawl."

She nodded. For a few seconds, she watched the baby with a strange expression on her face. Then, she looked at me, shifting her weight from foot to foot. "I guess that when I saw you the way you were, I got scared. She reminded me of you, and I missed you… so I latched onto her. You're one of my best friends… I haven't been as scared as I've been the last week or so for years." Paine then quieted and turned to the window, rocking my child as she looked out over the city.

I smiled to myself as I pulled on my boots, occasionally glancing up at my friend. Coming from Paine, those words meant a lot, and I was touched.

* * *

Rikku was tired already, I could see it in her eyes. She'd insisted on trying to walk most of the way back to the house, but when I'd noticed her wincing, I'd forced her to sit back in the wheelchair and let me take her home. Paine had left us at the hospital doors, saying something about needing supplies. Telan was snug in Rikku's arms, wrapped in a warm blanket for her first trip outside. When we finally arrived at the Faction house, I heard Rikku sigh with relief, and I grinned.

I helped her to stand, and she gave me a look of gratitude. "Want me to take her? Your arms have to be tired by now." She nodded and carefully passed our daughter into my arms, smiling at her lovingly.

"Dryhgc, Gippal." I nodded and knocked on the door. We didn't wait long for an answer. Cid smiled as he pulled the door open and hugged Rikku tightly. I laughed as she rolled her eyes. "Re, Vydran…"

He pulled her inside and down the side hall. I grinned as voices sounded in the living room. A moment later, Brother emerged with a smile on his face, and he looked to me expectantly. "Haat ramb fedr yhodrehk?" I looked back outside and nodded toward the wheelchair and her bag.

"Ev oui luimt kad dryd cdivv ehceta, ed't pa knayd. E tuh'd fyhd du fyga Telan..." I walked down the hall as Brother went outside to get everything. When I turned into the living room, I saw Rikku sitting uncomfortably on the couch with Tidus and Cid. Yuna was in an armchair in the corner, but she jumped up as soon as I walked in the room. Wakka was on the ground, playing with Vidina, and Lulu sat in another chair.

Yuna looked down at Telan excitedly. "They're finally here!"

I glanced at Rikku, who was looking at the floor distractedly. I nodded to Yuna. "Yeah, I know. I brought 'em."

She rolled her eyes and reached for the baby. I pulled back with a little laugh. "No, she's asleep! And it took forever to get her that way!"

Yuna sighed and walked back to her chair. "Fine, I get her first when she wakes up."

_Oh joy, now we get to play 'Claim the Baby'. What fun._ I nodded in agreement and sighed quietly. I knew everyone was happy to see Rikku home and well, and to greet Telan into the circle of friends, but I could also plainly see that Rikku was exhausted and that if I didn't remove Telan from the room, she'll be woken up sooner or later anyway. "Rikku… let me show you around the house."

"Oh, yeah, that'd be great!" With a little too much enthusiasm, she pushed herself off the couch and walked through the doorway. "I'll be back in a little bit, guys…"

I took her hand and led her silently down the hallway toward our little bedroom. Once we got inside, I closed the door and she leaned on me with relief. "I knew you'd be exhausted."

"I just need a little nap, that's all. I'm not _exhaust_-" She grinned as she saw the little bassinet and rocking chair. "When did you do all this!"

"The other day while everyone was up at the hospital with you. Yuna helped, with the stuffed animals and stuff… but Cid and I put it all together." She grinned and watched as I crossed to the bassinet.

"Don't put her in there unless you're sure it won't fall apart."

"Crid ib." I carefully took the blanket from my daughter's body and put her inside the bassinet, covering her up once again when she was comfortable. Then, I turned to Rikku and pointed at the bed. "That's yours. I decided to be nice and give it up for you."

She sat back on the bed and flopped onto the pillows. "You didn't have to do that."

"I know, I'm such a gentleman." I sat next to her and smirked. She reached for the blanket at the foot of the bed and covered herself up.

"No, I mean… nevermind." She closed her eyes and pulled the blanket up further. "Thanks for getting me outta there. I'm too tired to deal with all of them at once."

"Yeah, I know. That's why you love me." She nodded tiredly, not really paying attention as she drifted off into slumber.

* * *

Everyone had gathered around the table for dinner. I was happy to be among everyone once more, but I was developing a migraine from all the ruckus. Yuna had passed Telan to Lulu once she'd gotten hungry. Lulu had held her for a while, and then had passed her to me. My baby seemed to be developing a headache as well… she was fussy.

Gippal sat next to me, laughing at Tidus, who was currently stuck with Vidina. The lively toddler was taking handfuls of the ex-guardian's food, shoveling it into his mouth. I rested Telan's head on my shoulder, patting the tiny infant's back softly. "It's okay, sweetie…" I whispered, pushing my chair back and standing. I walked over to the counter and single-handedly collected one of the little bottles that the hospital had sent us home with. It was a bit difficult to balance the baby and try to open the can of formula by myself, but I managed.

I began to shake up the contents of the bottle as she began to cry… loudly. Gippal left the table as well and took over my bottle shaking, looking apologetically over his shoulder as the two of us left the dining area.

"She doesn't fuss like this all that often, don't worry." He smiled at me reassuringly. I sighed heavily as I patted her back.

"This is fussing? It sounds like crying to me."

He frowned, a strange emotion in his eyes. "You'll know crying when you hear it." With a sigh, he opened the door into the bedroom, holding it open for me as I entered. "Do you want me to calm her down?"

"No." I shook my head and sat back on the bed. "I have to learn how to take care of her on my own sooner or later." I made myself comfortable on my pillows and readjusted Telan in my arms. Gippal offered me the bottle and I in turn offered it to Telan. She drank willingly, and I smiled, running my fingers through her white blonde hair with affection. "There, that worked."

Gippal chuckled and looked toward the door. "Did you eat?"

"I wasn't all that hungry." He sighed heavily and stood, walking to the doorway. "Where are you going?"

"To get your food. You need to eat actual food, Rikku."

I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths. "I'm having a hard enough time dealing with everyone else… don't you start acting like Mommy Yuna, too."

I've always known him to be stubborn, and he held true to the expectation. "I'll be back in a few minutes." He closed the door behind him as he trudged back down the hall. Silently, I shook my head and took solace in the silence.

* * *

I woke in the middle of the night, listening to Gippal's soft whispering, the back and forth swish of the rocking chair. I waited for a few minutes, before opening my eyes and watching him.

He had our daughter cradled in his arms, and he was smiling lovingly down at her, whispering quietly, calmly. I could hear her little infant cooing, faint from across the room. As I listened to both his voice and her voice… I couldn't help but lie in the sound of it. The scene brought a smile to my lips. I shifted under my blankets, attracting Gippal's attention. He smiled and held a finger up to his lips as he continued to rock her.

After ten minutes or so, he tenderly stood and gently set her sleeping form down in the bassinet, covering her tiny body with a warm blanket. After that was taken care of, he stretched. I must admit, I appreciated the sight… a shirtless Gippal hadn't yet proven disappointing for me. Then, he turned and walked hesitantly to my bedside, kneeling on the ground beside it, his arms crossed on the bed, chin resting upon them. "Sorry I woke you… Telan was yelling for attention."

I grinned. "I didn't hear her."

"That's because you sleep like a rock when you're exhausted." He smirked and I scooted over under the covers, patting the empty space beside me. He raised an eyebrow before crawling up from the floor and resting beside me.

"…you're really good with her, Gip." I yawned and pulled my heavy bedcovers over him. He settled in right away. Both of us liked heavy blankets… for a while at least. I had a tendency to kick them off.

He closed his eyes and rested his head on a pillow. I frowned as I watched him breathe deeply… he looked so tired. "I love her…"

"You have no idea how thankful I am for that." I tentatively reached out, wrapping my arm about his bare waist. He opened his gorgeous eyes and stared at me as I pulled him closer.

"I don't understand how you could have ever thought that I wouldn't want her… I know I said I wasn't ready for kids yet, but… I would have been excited even if I didn't think I was ready."

I hesitated. "I know… I… I know, Gippal."

"Then why didn't you just tell me?" I hadn't expected him to sound hurt when the inevitable question arose. I'd expected him to sound angry… the hurt tone in his voice threw me off balance.

"I… I just couldn't, Gippal." I closed my eyes and relaxed, comforted by his warm skin.

His arm snaked around my waist and upper back, and he gently pulled me toward him. His lips gently brushed over my cheek as he spoke. "Why can't you give me a reason?"

I sighed heavily, whispering, my voice shaky. "Why can't you stop pressing me for one?"

Both of us froze. It was almost like time stopped for a few precious seconds as we stared at each other. And then he pulled away, crossing the room to the little cot in the corner. "… goodnight, Rikku."

"Goodnight, Gippal." We were both silent for a long time. Once his breath was slow, steady, I let my fingers linger over my cheek, let my mind linger on the touch of his lips to my skin. How I missed him, in every way a person could be missed… and yet how distant I felt from him, as well.

* * *

As I towel dried my hair, I sighed deeply. Even though I'd taken a shower as soon as I could stand long enough to do so back in the hospital, I finally felt refreshed. We were leaving in the morning… everyone was going in their separate directions, returning to normal. I frowned, looking out the small window toward the harbor. I closed my eyes and listened, letting the sound of the waves against the nearby docks take my mind far out to sea, where there was nothing to worry about but the wind and the waves.

A knock disrupted my silent reverie, and I looked toward the door. Lulu stood there, Telan in her arms, blinking at the sudden light that was leaking in from the window. "Hey…" I said, with a tiny grin. "Just got out of the shower."

"Feeling any less sore?" she asked, coming to sit next to me on the bed. I nodded and moved my damp hair off my shoulder, taking Telan from her. I kissed her little blonde head softly, and then looked to Lulu.

"Is something wrong?" She was looking at me much too critically.

She sighed and continued to watch me… it was giving me the creeps, in a good way. I think. "I'm just thinking."

"About?"

"The trip home tomorrow. I must say, I wish we could take the Celsius, but if your brother has to work, he has to work." She shrugged.

I grinned. "I doubt Gippal will let him off."

She nodded. "Exactly. But at least you get a quick, comfortable ride."

I wrinkled my nose at her, confused. "I do?"

"Well, you're going to Djose, so you can take the airship back." Her deep red eyes locked on my green ones with a smile. I simply stared at her coolly, patting my baby on the back, until I became uncomfortable and averted my gaze.

* * *

It was late when I returned from Tidus' room. I yawned as I walked down the moonlit hall. I was exhausted mentally as well as physically, now. I quietly opened the door, finding myself hoping that he was asleep.

But he wasn't. He was wide awake, packing quietly so as not to wake Telan. He smiled up at me as I entered, and I weakly smiled back. "I was beginning to think you were raiding the kitchen."

"I'm not really that hungry…" I rested on the bed, avoiding his gaze. He didn't really seem to notice as he haphazardly tossed his clothes into a duffel bag. I waited for a moment as he continued to take clothing out of the dresser before I got onto the floor and emptied the bag, folding the items and tucking them back in a much more efficient matter.

He turned when he saw what I was doing and flopped onto the floor next to me, taking a pair of pants from my hands. "Don't worry about it. You need to pack your own stuff."

"I already did most of it… I didn't have time to bring much with me."

He nodded and looked over to the bassinet. "Need help getting all her stuff ready?" he asked, putting a hand on my shoulder supportively. "You look tired."

"I am tired… It's okay, though, I've got everything packed up for her, too. Except the blankets. And I figure we're just leaving the bassinet here?"

He nodded. "I like it, but… the place needs somewhere for people to put a baby, so it works out." I nodded and took back the pair of pants, folding them tenderly.

"Yeah… it works out." I heard him take a deep breath as he stretched over to the dresser, pulling more clothing out of its drawers, taking the time to fold them neatly.

"Are you excited about going back to Djose?" He asked, conversationally. I was quiet for a moment, until he stopped folding and looked up at me expectantly.

"I'm excited about going to _Besaid_." My voice was calm, but my heartbeat wasn't. I was certain that he could hear it from where he was sitting. Gippal's eyes looked confused for a moment, as he nervously ran a hand through his hair. Then, he steadied himself, nodding as if he knew that.

"Besaid… I hope it isn't too hot there, I didn't really think to bring any light clothes…" He made to push himself off the ground, but I reached out and grabbed his forearm, staring straight at him.

"I'm going to Besaid, Gippal."

"Yeah… you just said that." He grinned, acting nonchalant. I knew that he was getting edgy, though.

"No, I mean… me. Telan and I are going to go to Besaid." I was trying very hard not to hesitate, to sound firm, decided.

"And wherever my ladies go, I follow, no?" He'd dropped the fake cool attitude, now, and was looking nervously from Telan's sleeping face to my firm one.

"… I wanted you to follow me before, Gippal… but I don't think I want you to follow me, now." I pulled my hand away and returned to the door, avoiding his unbelieving gaze as I did so.

* * *

_And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen… **Lie In The Sound** is now complete. Much thanks to all of the reviewers throughout the entire fic! Thank you, also, to FairyIce for beta-ing so wonderfully. I can't wait to see everyone's reaction to this chapter. Threw you a curveball, I think… Anyway, the first chapter of the sequel, **The Echo**, will be posted within a week and a half of today. I need to catch up on the rest of my fics, which I've been neglecting in favor of this one, before I post it. Thank you all so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! Please Review!_

_-Jezzi_


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